Commitment
by Catria R
Summary: **SEQUEL TO PROMISE** HitsuxOC fanfic. It was his second chance, his only chance -- but would she even remember him? R&R please! **RESTARTED**
1. Prologue

Hitsugaya sighed at his paperwork with a grim expression. He twirled the sake in his cup, staring vacantly at the wall.

He still hadn't found her. And it had been nearly a year since then.

He bit the inside of his cheek as he recalled what had happened just moments after he had first arrived from the human world. He had gone to the Commander-General demanding their reports on the soul flow, and with a warning of disappointment, he was given them. There were no records on who went where; it was only petty diagrams and charts that he found no use for. Even still, each day he visited Rukongai in hopes of seeing her. And each day, he returned, with empty hands but still, an overwhelmingly full heart.

When they had first come back, word had spread quickly. That he, a Captain, had fallen in love with a human girl, and not just any, but Ichigo's younger sister. At first, people were shocked, near disappointed at the idea, but when they heard news of her death; it had suddenly taken a turn to tragedy. He had neither denied nor confirmed, he had just kept walking whenever he heard those hushed whispers, saw those downcast eyes in pity. The first few months the other Captains had tried to comfort him, especial efforts were put in by Ukitake.

But those efforts did little for him.

It seemed these days there were too many things to worry about. With each turn he took, everything seemed to come colliding back to him; the fact that Hinamori had apparently, fallen back into a coma only a week before he had arrived had spelt out bad luck, or perhaps karma, to him.

Sometimes he wondered why he was being punished.

It was a shock to Matsumoto when he had asked her for advice. Asked her how he could forget, even if it were only temporary. She had replied with one word, a single noun, to which was 'sake'. She was even more surprised, when he had agreed, and asked for his first cup, when in every other instance he had refused the offerings.

Of course, then, the one time he asked, she was not willing to give him any; told him he was a minority, illegal. But when did Soul Society have laws on drinking? He didn't know. So instead, he took it himself. It wasn't stealing really; he'd always known where she stashed it. It had felt bitter going down his throat, but in that moment, he relished it – because it was exactly as he felt.

Bitter.

---

**A/N: **So here is the prologue to COMMITMENT, sequel to PROMISE. If you're a first time reader, it won't really be necessary to read the first but, I would recommend it. I know, this is extremely short, but I've got to get some other things sorted. Exams and such, so the first actual chapter won't be out probably for another week. Anyway, keep me posted on your opinions; as always, I love reading all your reviews. I would really hope to see some of the reviewers from Promise onto this story. : )

I am considering going in a different direction with this, by using first person point of view (of whom? Well, you can find out later…). I don't know if I'll be able to pull it off, but I would really love to hear your opinions if this would be a good idea or not. I'm still considering this; so don't rely on it!


	2. Chapter One

There was that incredible feeling of warmth and home.

She had no idea where she was, but vaguely registered that there was a cool, soothing hand on her forehead that reminded her of her mother…

… who was dead.

With increasing alarm, she opened her eyes and then immediately regretted it. The light was blinding, the room was too bright, and everything – the walls, the bed sheets, even the woman beside her – was white. She felt the hand retract almost mechanically, and sat up in response. She dropped her gaze to her arms, spotted with sickly purple bruises, unsure of what to do.

_Where was she?_

---

Hitsugaya strolled down the sidewalk, regretting drinking that horrid sake. Not only did he have a blaring hangover to atone for his sins, but Matsumoto had chastised him once again, threatening to tell the Commander-General of his deeds. He only had to threaten her with extra paperwork and she had shut up immediately. This was the only time when he enjoyed the concept of paperwork. It's not like Matsumoto didn't drink too, right?

He knew it was wrong. He wasn't an alcoholic, really. It was just that every time his thoughts drifted to _her_, which happened to be too often, he found himself itching for a taste of sake. Maybe Matsumoto had been right about him going overboard. People were worried about him, he knew that also. But he was a Captain, he could effectively take care of himself – or so he always believed. He didn't need anyone to look out for him. No, he wouldn't allow anyone to do so. Hinamori had been the only one who he would give any leeway for – despite that annoying nickname of Shiro or whatever – but she was mentally gone from his life. Locked up in a hospital room, suffering from a coma, unknown as to when she would finally wake; or if she would ever wake.

With a sigh, he stopped walking to stand underneath one of the few trees scattered around Seireitei. Right about now, he would already be in Rukongai if that irritating meeting hadn't hindered his schedule. What had that meeting been about again? Something to do with the Shinigami Academy, was all he could remember. There were way too many meetings these days and to be frank, he seemed to pay less and less attention each time.

He vaguely wondered if Yuuki had somehow enrolled herself into the Academy. The sudden feeling of loss hit him again like a tidal wave, and he couldn't help but let out a single sigh.

It was a continuous cycle.

---

"Do you remember what happened?"

She didn't answer, only watched as the strange woman folded her hands across her lap and stared politely back at her.

"Okay." The woman spoke calmly, with a faint smile etched upon her pretty features. "I'm Retsu Unohana, do you remember me?"

_Unohana?_ The name didn't seem to ring a bell at all, and suddenly she grew suspicious. She regarded the woman with narrowed eyes and with as much confidence as she could muster, barked, "Where am I?"

"This is the hospital."

---

"Captain!"

Exhaling, Hitsugaya turned to face the intruder, who was none other than his trusty Vice Captain. He was still standing there, beneath the tree. With slight irritation, he called, "Yes, Matsumoto?"

She stumbled towards him, stopping short to catch her breath. With eager eyes, she regarded him and spoke in an equally chipper tone, "You won't believe what happened!"

"Did you get a life-time supply of free sake?" He answered dryly, and raised an arm to rest his hand on the base of the tree. "You know, you'd have to share that with me…"

Matsumoto rolled her eyes. "I'm certain you won't ever want to drink again when you hear this…"

His froze for a moment, wondering. "Did you…?"

She gave him an odd look, before realizing what he meant. She saw a flash of hope in his eyes, and felt a small stab of guilt. Swallowing, she carefully answered, "No… we didn't." She paused for a few seconds, allowing him to recollect himself and silently taking in his disappointment, and trying not to see his hurt expression.

Suddenly, she felt like it wasn't such good timing anymore.

"Yeah, so what was it?" Hitsugaya asked with a slight frown, urging her to continue.

Matsumoto gave him a big smile, hoping to cheer him up and answered, "Hinamori, she's awoken."

---

"The hospital?" She questioned.

"Yes." Unohana answered.

"Oh, I get it. You've just brought me here to repair my broken body…"

"Please." Unohana pleaded. "You're probably in a traumatic state right now, when you were found, I was told you were in shock. If you could please just listen to what I have to tell you…"

"What you have to tell me?" She spat back, biting back a sarcastic laugh. "What is it that they – or should I say you people – want from me?"

"I know what those men did to you were… beyond horrible. But if you would just listen to me, you're safe here; that was a long time ago. You are away from those people." She spoke quietly and remained with her calm composure.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"It's understandable that you don't remember… it was a traumatic experience. The mind is built to reject things that aren't worth remembering in a way to deal with pain. If you could just think back and tell us what happened." Unohana urged, giving her a slight nod.

"I know you're lying to me." She answered. "You want me to tell you what happened, so you have a reason, a way to justify my death, isn't that right? If you're going to kill me, why don't you just get it over with? I know you people don't believe in honor."

"We're not going to kill you. You're safe here. We are not with those people. They've been taken care of."

"I get it. You're the one who deals with runaways, aren't you?" She swung her legs to the side of the bed, a shiver going down her spine as her bare feet made contact with the tiled floor. She lowered her voice to a dull whisper, "I know they're keeping you here too. I've heard that you have the most tragic job. I've heard that you have to get rid of the runaways and if you don't… they'll get rid of you. I've heard everything from the others. If you could just please let me go… we can run away together…"

Unohana exhaled, feeling perplexed with the situation. "As I said, I am not with those people. You are at a hospital, please, try to understand. You can trust me."

She leaned back and whispered, "How can I trust you?"

Unohana examined the bruises covering the girl's arms and legs. "Because… I'm not going to hurt you. If my motive was to kill you, don't you think you would already be dead – not here in a hospital, recovering from your wounds?"

She regarded her carefully, eyeing the woman for a moment. What she had said seemed true, seemed logical… but could she trust this stranger? Swallowing, she stood up, never breaking the eye contact. If this woman was going to trick her, she would catch it.

She would not miss a thing.

---

"Room, what room?" He demanded, sucking in great breaths of air.

Isane Kotetsu regarded him with distant surprise, and quickly mumbled, "She's been moved to 105 because…"

He didn't bother hearing her explanation and was off in a flurry of movement. He could hear his heart beating against his chest, a rhythmic thudding that seemed to be more alive than ever. He could hear Matsumoto's sandals shuffling beside him, and her labored breaths.

"Captain – please! She's not going to run away you know, she just got out of a coma!" Matsumoto called, huffing behind him.

"Will you hurry up!" He yelled back, feeling a roaring headache on the way.

"But Captain… my chest…"

He rolled his eyes and quickly took a right turn. These hallways were just too damn long. Sure, there were a lot of Shinigami injured everyday due to training and fighting, but why did they have to space out the rooms so much? He watched the numbers flash by him, and felt a great sense of anticipation as he entered the hundred mark.

"Here! Right here!" Matsumoto pointed to a door to his left and he quickly followed her.

He stopped by the door, breathing in and out to calm himself. With a shaky hand, he reached for the doorknob and turned.

---

She circled around the woman who remained unfazed. The woman stood, and regarded her with a curious glance; which she ignored. There was something off about this woman, something strange. Her robes, why were they white? And her hair, why was it braided at the front? Did she plan on strangling her with it?

"There's nothing to worry about." The woman spoke, as if reading her thoughts.

There was a grating noise, and she turned to face the door, watching in terror as it opened.

A trap.

It had been a trap.

"It's okay, it's okay!" Unohana exclaimed, taking a few steps towards her.

She backed away as someone entered the room. Another woman, dressed in a black kimono. The newcomer took a quick peek before entering. She examined her closely. Short lavender hair, black kimono… and a sword.

"Out!" Unohana commanded, pointing a finger at the door.

She knew almost at once, this woman was here to kill her. This Unohana lady had been lying, after all. With a strangled cry, she bolted past both women and down the hallway, her feet slapping against the cool floor. She could hear distant cries from the women.

"Isane! I told you to stay out!"

"It's just that I had…"

"Nevermind that, we have to get her!"

She increased her pace at the words 'get her'. Clearly, the second these people caught her, she would be killed. She saw someone at a desk, regarding her with an odd glance. She stopped for a moment and watched as the desk person stood up and made their way over to her.

"Are you…?"

She stumbled backward, regaining her balance and then sprinting forward and turning right. She could hear footsteps behind her and felt like a trapped animal. She would never be able to out run three people. Terrified, she reached for a door, wincing as her hand collided with the doorknob. She fumbled with it awkwardly before prying it open and quickly stepping inside and shut turning in the same breath to shut the door closed.

Hopefully she was safe.

"… _you feeling, Hinamori?"_

She froze as she heard the voice.

"_Alright, I guess… so glad you came…"_

Another voice. And then the dull scraping of what she recognized to be a chair pulling back.

"… _what the…"_

And another.

Shaking, she reached for the door again. It opened before she could touch the doorknob, and came face to face with Isane and Unohana.

"Yuuki, please, calm down!" Unohana instructed, and then paused, her mouth slightly open in what seemed to be surprise as she observed the room. Her gaze returned to the girl in front of her and in a much colder tone said, "Remove her. Immediately."

Yuuki turned around, tears springing into her eyes. She turned to the three people in the room in one last attempt at freedom. "Please…" She whispered, "Help me."

She saw a girl lying on the hospital bed, probably not much older than herself, and a busy woman with long hair standing by a chair. Her gaze shifted to the last person, a boy around her age with brilliant white hair…

… who's sea green eyes were staring straight back at her.

---

**A/N: **Sorry for the slow updates guys, I had to revise this chapter many times so I hope it turned out alright! I'm soo happy that I had 16 review already! Promise only had 1 on it's first chapter – so this is definitely a change. Thanks so much guys for reviewing, I see a lot of familiar people. : ) As you can see, I decided not to go with first person because I felt it would be way too limited. Hope I didn't raise anybody's hopes up!

Again, thank you so much for the 16 reviews… it really made my day! Let me know what you thought of this chapter. : )

I'll try and get the next chapter out as soon as possible, and it will definitely clear up some of that stuff Yuuki was rambling on about. : ) I also hope this chapter wasn't too confusing!


	3. Chapter Two

**A/N:** I realize more people than I hoped are confused about the last chapter, so I'll explain. None of the last chapter was about Hinamori (except for the very last bit where Yuuki sees her). It was all Yuuki. I was kind of hoping to trick people into thinking it was Hinamori so that it would be more of a shock in the end, but I guess it kind of backfired. Anyway, basically Yuuki is in the room with Unohana who is trying to talk to her, and Hitsugaya is going to see Hinamori at the same time. However, due to a sudden turn of events, Yuuki runs out of said room and enters Hinamori's to escape and finally meets Hitsugaya. I hope that explanation helped, I tried to simplify. : )

---

"Yuuki?" Matsumoto called, incredulous by her sudden appearance.

Yuuki broke the eye contact with the boy and turned to glance at the woman who had called her name. She opened her mouth to inquire, but she found herself struggling to speak. She felt Isane's hands grab onto her shoulders, securing her in place; and in response she immediately stiffened. The possibilities of torture, death and imprisonment crossed her mind and Yuuki began shaking violently as she was forcefully turned towards the door.

Hitsugaya watched wide-eyed as Isane took a hold of Yuuki. Question after question bombarded his mind: Why was she here? How did she get here? How long had she been here? Why hadn't he been informed? He stood, raw emotion blazing in his eyes – and suddenly finding his voice, with as much force as he could exert he bellowed, "Unhand her!"

Yuuki felt Isane's grip lighten by a fraction, and for a moment she wondered if she was going to be set free. She tensed, also pondering the possibility that this boy wasn't trying to help her, but in fact, make it worse.

"Isane, give her to me." Unohana ordered, raising a hand. Isane did as commanded and gently shoved Yuuki towards her. Unohana took her hand and turned to whisper to Isane, "Restrain him," She paused for a moment, taking a shifty glance around the room, "—Them if necessary."

"Captain Unohana, I would remove your hands before I do it personally." He found himself speaking before he could think, words flying out of his mouth. "Yuuki? Yuuki, are you okay?"

Yuuki craned her neck around, just barely able to see the white-haired boy behind Isane. Why was he so concerned for her well-being?

"Need I remind you, Captain Hitsugaya?" Unohana spoke methodically, her words precise and clear. "This is a hospital setting and rules apply to everybody. Keep your voice down, there are a number of Shinigami resting down the hallway that will hear you and perhaps, disturb their resting state." She gave him a stern look and turned to leave, Yuuki following reluctantly behind.

"Wait – stop!" He shouted, infuriated by Unohana's nonchalant and composed demeanor. Leaping forward, he found himself barred inside as Isane stood in front of the door, blocking his way. He let out a low hiss of disapproval.

Yuuki turned to stare. What was going on?

"My deepest apologies, Captain," Isane spoke softly. "I'm afraid I can't let you go beyond this point for now."

He gritted his teeth, his hand automatically going to the hilt of his zanpakuto.

"Captain, please!" Matsumoto pleaded, immediately approaching his side. "This is a hospital… Hinamori is still sick…"

"Didn't you see that?!" Hitsygaya snarled. "They're keeping her from me! They've been hiding her! That's why I couldn't find her!"

"Toushirou…?"

He turned abruptly to Hinamori who had uttered his name, almost letting out an agitated '_what'_. A look of confusion marred her pretty face, and he felt himself calm down. He turned back to the door, and helplessly watched as Yuuki disappeared from him.

---

"Now that I've explained everything, please, I need you to do the same. We'll start with the basics. Your name?" Unohana questioned with a smile.

Yuuki stared at Unohana, disbelieving. She hastily tried to process everything, and still, she wasn't too certain about the circumstances; but she complied. With a slight sigh she replied, "Yuuki."

"Your last name?"

"I don't have one." She answered bluntly, shifting uncomfortably in the wooden chair. It creaked disapprovingly.

"Your parents? What about your parents?" Unohana asked as she jotted the information down.

"I don't know my biological parents. I am an orphan. A kind couple took me in." Yuuki replied.

"And where are they now?"

"Dead."

Unohana raised her head from the paper to look at Yuuki, with sad eyes. "If you would please tell me how they died…"

"A fire." She muttered, and then as an afterthought added, "Well, they were murdered, you see."

"By who?"

"The same people who…" Yuuki faltered, a sudden feeling of dread overwhelming her.

"Who…?" Unohana urged. She watched as Yuuki's hands balled into fists and in a softer voice, added. "You can tell me."

Yuuki took a deep breath, willing herself to speak and mentally stabilizing herself. "They brought me to this place. I don't know exactly, where. There were a lot of people – girls mostly – and…" She paused for a moment, lifting her head to stare at Unohana, "… they did things to them. Whenever those men would come drunk, they would be angry, and beat us. Or even worse…"

Unohana glanced at Yuuki's arms which were dotted with ugly bruises. She found herself sighing in sadness and reached over to place a warm hand on Yuuki's clammy ones. "Did they…?"

"No." She answered quickly, shaking her head quickly as fresh tears sprung out of her eyes. "If they had… I would… I would have killed myself. They tried to… but then…"

Unohana cracked a smile, feeling slightly relieved. Perhaps she did remember. "Yes, do you remember him?"

Yuuki closed her eyes, attempting to. "I heard bells, and then they were off of me. I saw this man with a peculiar hairstyle, in spikes of some sort, standing over them, over me."

"That would be Captain Kenpachi." Unohana confirmed. "You were lucky for him to arrive in time. He might look scary, but he's not one for immoral behavior of that sort. Ah, this is putting quite a lot of strain on you – we'll stop for now."

Yuuki just nodded in response, feeling both relieved and terrified at the same time.

---

"I'm sorry but I'm not allowed to disclose any information…" The shinigami answered firmly with a slight tinge of fear in his voice.

"But you know where she was found?" Hitsugaya questioned, narrowing his eyes. He examined the boy closely, he wasn't much older than he was and looked to weak to even possess a seat in the division. Surely, he would be able to scare it out of him if necessary.

"I don't. Not at all." He replied with a dull shake of his head.

"Look…" Hitsugaya started and glanced at the shinigami's nametag. "Arata, is it? How long have you been here?"

The boy nervously tapped his fingers on the front desk and meekly answered, "Around two weeks."

"So you're a newbie?" Hitsugaya confirmed with a wry smile. "As a shinigami, I am sure you know that you are obligated to follow a Captain's orders."

Arata nodded.

"Then tell me where that girl was found."

"I'm sorry. I cannot." Arata answered with an apologetic tone, silently fearing for his life. He had heard about the famous boy prodigy Toushirou Hitsugaya who had snagged himself a Captain's seat and was currently the youngest to possess one in Seireitei. He swallowed, bringing himself to make eye contact with him.

"I don't have time for games." Hitsugaya drawled, taking a quick glance around the area and stepping closer towards Arata, who visibly shrunk in reaction.

"I-I don't know, I swear." Arata pleaded.

"If you don't…" He reached for his zanpakuto. "I need a sparring partner to practice, you know. Preferably one with medical knowledge who could quickly heal themselves for efficiency. You are part of the fourth division, am I right? Or you can just tell me what you heard…"

"I-I don't know if this is right." Arata answered in one breath. "I'll tell you as long as you keep it a secret."

Hitsugaya nodded eagerly, urging him to continue.

Arata took a deep breath, willing himself to look the captain in the eye. "Well," He began, "I was just in the hallway, you know… walking. I heard some voices from inside this room and recognized Captain Unohana immediately. But it was weird, because she was yelling and she doesn't normally yell. I mean, she doesn't need to yell to freak us all out – oh don't tell her I said that – anyway, she was talking about some girl named Yuuka? Yuufi? I don't know…"

"And?" Hitsugaya questioned, letting out an exasperated sigh. "Where was she found?"

Arata swallowed. "District 80."

---

Unohana shuffled the papers on her desk, neatly stacking them to one side. She glanced at Yuuki who was hunched over the desk, her bony elbows grazing along the surface as she leaned on them.

"Why?" Yuuki asked with a hint of uncertainty. "Why did you bring me here?"

"As I said, we have been looking for you for a long time." Unohana explained with a faint smile. "The Commander-General ordered for your retrieval a long time ago."

"Why does he want me?"

"That will be explained later." Unohana replied. "You should rest for now. The faster you recover, the faster you'll be able to go to the Academy – and I'm sure that the Commander-General will want a word with you later on."

"Am I going to become a Shinigami then?" Yuuki questioned, brow raised.

"Yes." Unohana confirmed. "But for now, you should focus on recovering – you don't have to be afraid. You can trust everyone here."

---

Hitsugaya could feel his heart drop at the mention of District 80. He had dreaded the answer, he had hoped with all his might that it would have been anything but 80. He had thought it would have been in the 60s or even the 70s at worst – but 80? What horrors had she suffered? He vaguely remembered the strange colorings on her arms and registered them as bruises. He could feel the anger swell around him – who could dare to hurt her?

"Captain?" Matsumoto spoke up, interrupting him from his thoughts.

He gave Arata a nod of acknowledgement and then turned to face Matsumoto. "What is it?"

"We've been summoned."

---

**A/N Part 2**: Okay, I know I am so late with this. I find the strangest times of inspiration and it's currently 1:30 AM. Thank you so much for reviewing, I was very pleased with a whole whopping 18 reviews. I know this chapter isn't very entertaining but at least it gives insight on Yuuki's life in Rukongai – a tiny bit anyways. Next chapter should be interesting. ;) I can guarantee A LOT of more information will be revealed.

Thanks so much guys for reviewing, I'm so tired but I want to upload this chapter up tonight so I won't be replying to reviews! Please keep reading and reviewing, I really appreciate everyone's opinions!


	4. Chapter Three

A/N: I am horribly sorry for the slow updates. It seems that courses are proving to be harder than I thought. From here I am going to be starting my storyline, which includes made-up pieces which I hope you will all understand and forgive me for. I am not usually one to go out of the story's boundaries, but to spice things up I felt that adding my own element to Bleach would give it a nice, original outlook. : ) It may be confusing at first, but don't think too hard – just read carefully and try to understand it as much as possible, there will be further info revealed later on, and don't worry After all this serious-ness is over with, there will of course, be fluff between Yuuki/Hitsugaya. Thanks so much for your reviews guys, I really appreciate it! Remember to review, because I really want to hear your opinions on this direction I'm taking… good, bad, confusing? Let me know!

---

There was a loud slap on the table as Kenpachi slammed a hand against it. "This is ridiculous!" He shouted, nearly overturning his chair as he stood, Yachiru swaying uneasily on top of his shoulder.

"Captain Kenpachi, I advise you to calm down…" The Commander-General stated with a hint of disdain in his tone.

Hitsugaya observed the scene before him, feeling sick. He had arrived late, something he hated. He turned his head to glance at the screen set out before them; he could barely register what was going on – and why Yuuki's picture was exposed for all to see. He had only caught bits and pieces of the conversation before he had entered; he had felt the Captains' automatically turn to him with a pitying gaze. He had avoided them but almost immediately noticed that Captain Unohana's seat remained empty.

"_That little girl couldn't even take care of herself against some weaklings! You expect her to become a shinigami?!"_

"_Now, now… she was found in District 80, and from what I recall, you did grow up there…"_

"_The better question would be why Captain Kenpachi was there in the first place?"_

"… _why the hell do you think I went? I went for some damn entertainment, I had this feeling something interesting was gonna happen, you know?"_

He only half listened. Everything was happening at once, too fast. It was true, he had always wanted to find her, and he had hoped everyday that he would at least catch a glimpse of her. The prospect of turning Yuuki into a shinigami had been brought up by the Commander-General, who, normally had no doubts about his direction, and Hitsugaya was sure that even now, he didn't. It had caused an uproar, a rare occurrence, in the normally calm demeanor of the Captains. It hurt his ears to listen to the constant yelling, as Kenpachi and Soifon argued with each other. He wondered why Yamamoto was doing nothing, and yet he still couldn't understand why he hadn't been informed.

"_Silence!_" The Commander-General's raspy voice boomed, instantly causing a stillness to settle in the air and effectively shutting up the arguing amongst the Captains.

Hitsugaya sat there, staring blankly at the screen, a sudden overwhelming of emotions taking over. He swallowed, his mouth dry and parched. He didn't know how to react, or what to do, but found himself speaking anyway. "Why wasn't I informed?"

There was a dull silence as the Captains stared onwards.

Nobody seemed to know how to reply.

"It was high priority to get Yuuki evacuated from the area." Yamamoto explained firmly. "It is in my belief that I could not risk anything, for her safety."

"Risk?" Hitsugaya questioned, seething. "What kind of _risk_ is there? From what I know of, you should have been aware of my daily trips to Rukongai…"

"I am also aware you never stepped foot in District 80."

Hitsugaya shut his mouth awkwardly, caught off guard. It was true; he never had because he never even imagined her there. She was too good of a person to end up in the worst of the districts. If he had known this was going to happen, he would have given anything to prevent this.

"Now that we're all settled." Yamamoto stated with a low sigh. "I would like to continue this discussion in a civilized manner. There is something of great importance that you must all be informed about."

With a distinct click, the screen changed, and he continued. "It was noticed by the research and communications division that something bizarre occurred during the final battle."

Hitsugaya could feel his stomach twist in knots as he heard those words. He stood, his chair screeching loudly against the floor. He couldn't watch this. He couldn't.

"Captain, please sit down." The Commander-General instructed, and then added, "I assure you, you will want to know about this – otherwise you can leave but do not have disputes because I did not inform you. This is your only chance."

He felt a hand on his shoulder, and understood almost immediately that it was Matsumoto. With a low sigh, he reinstated himself in his seat, shifting uncomfortably. Ever so slowly, he turned his head to the screen whilst mentally preparing himself. He recognized the scene with impeccable remembrance, registering it as the park where she had been killed. His hands subconsciously balled into fists, biting his lip as it began to play. He forced himself to watch, but didn't pay full attention. After a few moments of silence, he heard a number of his subordinates gasp in surprise. Frowning, he focused his attention back to the screen. What had been so surprising?

"Did she just…?" Soifon questioned, mouth open in surprise.

"I believe she did." Byakuya answered with slight intrigue.

"No fuckin' way." Kenpachi countered. "How the hell could she did that?"

"That appears to be the mystery." The Commander-General answered, readjusting his robes. "I've conducted extensive research and nothing seems to match up – except for one theory that Captain Ukitake suggested."

"I'm sorry, what 's going on?" Hitsugaya broke in.

"She flashstepped." Mayuri answered, his eyes wide. "Amazing. Simply amazing. The first time I've seen a human capable of such."

He felt his whole body go numb at his words, instantly replaying that night. It had bothered him for days – the simple fact that it had been impossible for Yuuki to jump in front of him at such a quick speed. He had analyzed and reanalyzed the situation, considering each possibility and even scenario changes that he may have not noticed. It had never occurred to him that she would have _flashstepped._ The idea of it was ridiculous and unheard of. He had only come to one conclusion that it had been his fault, that perhaps he had misjudged the timing or that if he had been able to fight consistently with his left hand instead of his right, he would have somehow been able to defeat them. He closed his eyes, curious and frightened at the same time – what could have happened, really?

"I believe that she is perhaps a reincarnation." Jushirou Ukitake started as if reading Hitsugaya's thoughts.

A hush fell over the Captains, the Vice's leaning in to hear more.

"Reincarnation of what?" Komamura asked.

"As all of you know, there have been a time where one or more Shinigami were born with an intense reiatsu, strong enough to cut through or take over others'. These people were specialized to their strengths, which have always been for defencive purposes. Their primary role in Soul Society appeared to be the ultimate defence, a perfect comrade whereby they were placed in the most important role as the King's Guard." Ukitake spoke slowly, allowing everybody to absorb the information.

"Weren't the remaining Guards killed?" Shunsei questioned with slight amusement at the sudden news..

"Yes, but I believe that we have been sent a gift." Yamamoto answered. "The timing couldn't be more perfect. Aizen and his Arrancar are no doubt planning to overthrow the King …"

"You're going to _use_ her? The only reason you went and looked for her was so you could _use_ her for this?" Hitsugaya interrupted, seething. The idea was absurd, ridiculous. There was no way Yuuki was one of them. "How do you know if she's one of these Guards anyway?!"

"There is strong reason to believe so." Ukitake replied calmly. "Her spirit power was quite strong for a human, though nothing extraordinary. However, since her arrival to Seiretei there seems to be an obvious difference. During her recovery, her reiatsu seems to be expanding at exponential rates."

"I don't quite understand." Byakuya ventured. "If she is to be used for defence, why would she attend the academy? What is this 'power' she posseses?"

"Her power is unique, but it is also unstable." The Commander General answered, clicking the screen to another scene of the battle. "This will be even more shocking."

Hitsugaya didn't even bother to watch, he turned away and attempted to block out the visual images he was making to the sounds he heard. Swords clashing, people shouting. It was too horrible.

Matsumoto rested a comforting hand on his shoulder. It was no easier for her than it was for him.

"Isn't that Ichimaru Gin?" Komamaru growled.

There was a murmur of discussion, and a slight gasp as the Captains continued to watch the battle unfold.

"As you can see here, Vice Captain Matsumoto is able to cut through Gin's sword." Yamamoto pointed out.

Matsumoto remembered clearly. The strange feeling she had had as soon as she had made contact with his sword for a split second before she had been able to cut through it. She also remembered his expression, shock and fury as he had shouted profanities aimed toward Yuuki.

"That is their power, her power." He answered with a grim expression. "When a zanpakuto comes in contact with their flesh, a certain anomaly occurs where the spirit power is considerably weakened."

Hitsugaya listened in silence, feeling even worse than before. Something about Yuuki getting cut up was _not_ something he wanted to happen.

"That is remarkable." Mayuri whispered, tapping his fingers along the table. "Her blood produces some kind of weakening enzyme? Perhaps I can experiment on her, if we can recreate this special enzyme; we could create an elite race of Shinigami. What about her zanpakuto capabilities?"

There was a hiss of disapproval from Hitsugaya as Mayuri mentioned experiments on Yuuki. He had never liked him, and he would never allow him to do anything like that.

"The previous Guards were poorly examined, but as far as records tell; none of them possess a zanpakuto."

"Then how is she going to fight?" Hitsugaya asked. "Are you telling me that she has to get cut up in order to defend herself? By weaking herself and her enemy as some kind of… defence?"

"There was one report that I found interesting." Yamamoto spoke clearly. "One of the shinigami in the research division claimed that these special people had simply fused with their zanpakuto to receive such intense reiatsu. In essence, they are their own. As grotesque as it may be, the severity of the wound increased the weakening of reiatsu. When compared to a zanpakuto, she would consistently be in shikai – as for her bankai… that could be comparable to her death."

Warning signals alarmed in Hitsugaya's head. Death? "Death?" He voiced his thoughts, feeling very insecure. "What do you mean _death_?!"

"When a Guard dies by the sword of another Shinigami, their zanpakuto becomes irreparable. In respect, that is their absolute defence."

"


	5. Chapter Four

There was no single word to describe how he was feeling right now

There was no single word to describe how he was feeling right now.

He felt angered, betrayed, terrified and almost relieved. He stood uncertainly by the door, unsure of how to proceed. What would he say to her? What _could_ he say to her?

Yamamoto's words had been precise and stubborn. She would be observed, her progress in the Academy noted, and furthermore he was told to take great caution with her. He was almost offended at the words. Of course he would be cautious; he would never do anything to hurt her.

Still, he was uncomfortable with the idea. The very prospect that Yuuki would undergo shinigami training shook him, and even worse, was her… _condition._ He clearly remembered their conversation, just as he was about to leave when the meeting had finished.

"_Captain Hitsugaya?"_

_He turned, signaling for Matsumoto to leave before him. She had obliged and left without a word and only a curious glance. _

"_I do think we should discuss your relationship with her." The Commander-General urged, a slight raspy tone to his voice._

_He didn't know how to answer, just numbly nodded as he took a few, cautious steps towards him._

"_She will be enrolled in the Academy very soon." _

_The words cut at him, affecting him more than he had expected. Words flew out of his mouth, as he forcefully spoke, "No. She's too young. She needs time to adjust, she just got here. There are limited seats in the Shinigami Academy, there is no reason to enroll her… it would only cause problems among her classmates…"_

"_Have you forgotten there are such things as prodigies?" Yamamoto interrupted. "You were one yourself, you know. She is gifted with a power that needs to be controlled but nurtured. Don't you understand?"_

"_I understand fully. " Hitsugaya cut in. "But she is no prodigy. You don't even know if she's a Guardian for certain – these are just assumptions. Her reiatsu is unusually high, so is Ichigo's, it could be genetic. There is no reason to involve her in this. She will not participate."_

"_I beg to differ." He started with an authoritative tone. "She was saved from District 80, most likely from being murdered. Becoming a Shinigami is like starting a new life for her, and I will see to it that you do not interfere."_

_Hitsugaya could feel his anger swell at his words. _

"_It is very likely that Aizen knew about this and perhaps he, too, wanted to use her powers. I am not doing this to hurt you – this is only in the best interest for Yuuki."_

He sighed, slouching against the wall.

He didn't know what to do anymore.

--

Yuuki shifted on the bed. She was so used to sleeping on concrete that it felt weird to lie on something soft for a change. As bizarre as it seemed, the bed seemed to hurt her back. With a deep sigh, she sat upright and after a moment of thought she walked over to the corner of the room closest to the door. She sat down resting her back against the wall with her legs tucked in close against her chest. She was more comfortable like this.

The idea of becoming a shinigami was exciting, but at the same time, it was also daunting. Would she be able to fulfill the responsibility as one? More so, would she even be able to meet the requirements? She didn't think she was physically fit, in fact, she knew that she was rather weak. She still felt uncertain being here, and everybody who came to see her treated her like a fragile object that could break at any moment. She put her head down, resting it on her knees.

She just needed time to think.

--

Hitsugaya swallowed a few times, and rethought the process in his head. He would walk in quickly so he couldn't back out, and if she was sleeping (which he kind of hoped she was), he would leave quietly. If she was awake, he would talk to her and if inquired, he would claim that he was on duty to make sure she was okay. He nodded to himself. Yes, that seemed like a decent plan.

He opened the door and stepped inside, shutting it behind him. Looking straight at the wall, he walked forward until he found himself in front of the bed that would have Yuuki lying in it. He steeled himself to just check if she was sleeping or not. He looked down and nearly had a heart attack.

She was not there. She had disappeared, departed or maybe even ran away. His whole body shivered at the thought. What if she had ran away? He knew the security on this place was insufficient.

He stared at the empty bed for a few minutes before letting out a strangled, "Yuuki?"

_Silence._

He was really panicking now. Thousands of thoughts ran through his mind. He could almost hear his brain clicking away, processing the ideas. He swallowed and yelled, "Yuuki!"

--

Yuuki lifted her head, surprised to see another person in the room. He must have come in when she had not been looking, she inferred. She watched in silence, curious of his actions. He walked to the bed quickly; his manner was so robotic that she had to stifle a giggle. Pressing her lips together, she observed him for the few moments as he looked at the empty bed. She recognized him to be that boy she had met earlier; his white hair was an instant giveaway.

_What is he doing here?_ She wondered, frowning slightly as he made an unintelligible noise. Maybe he was a crazy patient who wandered the rooms. She wouldn't be surprised if he was, he had sure acted like an insane person, claiming to know her and whatnot.

"_Yuuki!_"

The sudden yelling of her name startled her, and she pressed herself back up against the wall. Yes, he was definitely a crazy person. She watched in slight terror as he continued yelling her name and rummaging through the blankets. She wished he would stop, what if that Unohana lady showed up again?

He continued yelling, this time grabbing a pillow and hurling it at the wall opposite of him.

She stood abruptly, taking quick paces towards him. Surely, if Unohana came and found _both_ of them in here, not only would she get in trouble, but this mental patient would too. She prepared herself to reach over and place a hand on his mouth to stop him from yelling. This would be her good deed for the day: helping out a fellow patient.

"Stop!" She yelled back, quickly placing a hand over his mouth at the same time.

He struggled in front of her, attempting to remove her hand.

"Stop, please! We're both going to get in trouble! I know you're kind of deranged or something, but please… stop! I don't know what you want from me, but I'm here so you can stop!" She rambled. She used as much force as possible; this kid seemed strong enough to tear her hand off!

He calmed down almost instantly at the mention of 'I'm here'.

She removed her hand, wiping it on her clothes. _Maybe this one had multiple personalities or major mood swings…_

He turned to face her, eyes wide.

She stared back with a sour expression on her face. She was _not_ comfortable with being in the same room as a person who was clearly and most likely clinically insane.

"Yuuki." He breathed, reaching a hand out towards her.

She flinched and jumped back on reflex, half expecting him to hit her.

He lowered his hand awkwardly. "I'm uh, Captain Hitsugaya. I'm here to uh, check on you." He stammered.

"But Unohana does that…"

"Yeah, she told me to take over." He answered with what he hoped to be a reassuring nod.

She watched him nod continuously, and took a few steps backward. "Umm… right."

"No, I'm serious." He assured, a very serious expression on his face.

"Ohh! I get it. You're one of those… impersonating crazy persons, aren't you?" Yuuki answered with a sigh. "Well, if that's the case, 'Captain'… I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself so you can just go back to your menta—I mean hospital… office… thingy… now."

He stared at her for a moment, dumfounded. "What?"

She bit her lip. Maybe he didn't comprehend what she had said. "Uhh, see, what I'm trying to say is…" She slowed her words. "You – can – go – now – fellow – patient."

"I'm _not_ a patient." He answered with a disapproving tone.

"Oh, yeah? Prove it." She blurted out. She was normally not so gutsy, in fact, she never was. This whole thing gave her some kind of strange confidence. To be truthful, she was scared stiff of any male that approached her, but with the prospect of becoming a shinigami, she felt different. More brave.

… Or maybe more stupid.

"Here, I am a shinigami. Look, here is my sword." Hitsugaya answered dully, pointing at the sword by his side.

She froze, eyes transfixed on the sword. _Oh no._

--

"Now do you believe me?" He questioned.

"Uh, y-yeah." Yuuki stammered, beginning to walk backward.

"Where are you going?" Hitsugaya stared as she continued to walk, and then suddenly broke out into a run. He leapt forward, grabbing her arm and pulling her back towards him.

"I'm s-sorry!" She cried. "Please don't – hurt – me!"

He let go of her immediately, realizing what he'd done. "No, no." He whispered, trying to calm her down. "I'm not… I'm not going to hurt you…"

She pushed him away and he took a step back from the force.

"I don't know what you want from me! How do you know my name? Why are you here? Why do you keep calling my name?" She yelled, shoving him away some more. "Are you a spy?!"

"What?" Hitsugaya replied, mouth agape in surprise. _A spy?_

"You're working for him, aren't you?!" She accused.

"What? I don't know… I mean no, I don't! I don't work for 'him' or whoever you're talking about! I'm good, I'm good!" He reiterated, panicked with the situation. Her suspicion and fear had escalated completely. She looked like a caged animal who had just found out she was going to the slaughterhouse.

"Get away from me!" She screamed.

"No, please, I'm only here to check up on you, I swear. I'm a Shinigami. See my Captain's robe? This looks similar to Unohana's doesn't it…?"

She stopped for a moment, staring closely at his robes. She felt herself calm down, her heartbeat lessening. "Are you sure?" She whispered.

"Yes." He assured her, relieved that she had calmed down.

She nodded slowly and sat on the bed, looking rather disturbed.

He cleared his throat, adjusting his robes. "W-well, now that I've seen that you're alright. I will be leaving now." He stopped by the door and added, "You can trust me, Yuuki."

There was no answer from her.

He drummed his fingers along the doorframe, waiting for a few more seconds.

_Silence._

He dropped his arm and briskly walked out the door, softly shutting it behind him. He sighed, leaning against the wall for what seemed like the umpteenth time.

She was more unstable than he had thought.

He lowered his head, staring at the shiny tiles. He thought about what had just happened, replaying the moment in his mind and couldn't help but break out in a small, bitter, smile.

At least she still had her humorous side.

--

A/N: I know it's been like 598 months since I updated this, but if anybody read my profile, yes, I am starting this over. I'd like to thank the few people who have reviewed my last chapter and as well as newcomers. I have a general direction of where I want to go with this… but most of it is on a whim. I really wanted to portray Yuuki's unstable mind with her erratic behavior, but do not worry folks, she's not crazy. As always, please review, I am quite curious to how you thought about this chapter. : ) Hoping to see my old readers back!


	6. Chapter Five

"Captain?"

Hitsugaya shifted slightly, batting his vice captain away with a hand.

"But… Captain…" Matsumoto protested.

"Can't you see I'm busy right now?" He questioned, irritation clearly visible on his face.

"But you've been standing there for the past ten minutes staring at the door!"

He frowned. Had that much time passed already? He shook those thoughts away. "Nevermind that. Shouldn't you be doing paperwork or something?"

"But, I never do the paper work…" She trailed off uncertainly.

"Then I guess you should start now." He interjected with a smug smile.

Matsumoto grumbled in response. She felt truly sorry for him, but even more so, she was worried about his condition. She had wandered into his office one day in hopes of taking him out for some cheer up lunch… but it hadn't gone so well.

"_Captain!" Matsumoto called in a sing-song voice._

_Hitsugaya didn't bother to look up, strictly concentrating on the papers before him._

_She watched with disinterest as her Captain practically inhaled the paperwork, furiously working away at them. She tapped her foot a couple times and cleared her throat before interrupting, "How about we go for some lunch? My treat."_

"_Since when do you treat me to lunch? Isn't it the other way around?" He scoffed, barely glancing at her. "Besides, I'm busy."_

"_Okay, that might be true, but I'll let you pick where we go this time!" She answered cheerfully and briskly made her way over to the desk to pull him out of the chair. She neared him and stopped dead in her tracks. _

_--_

What she had seen was borderline disturbing. The papers hadn't been related to work at all. In fact, they had all been related to Yuuki. The table had been littered with charts, graphs, diagrams and various maps of Rukongai and District 80, as well as profiles of random civilians. She had backed off without a second thought to leave him with his 'work'.

He had told her about what happened and with no other way out; they had theorized what may have happened to her during her life in District 80. Of course, the theories were all grim and depressing, but still, he had insisted on continuing the discussion… even after three solid hours of it. The only times when he would stop doing his research or theories were the times he spent with Hinamori.

Hinamori was recovering quickly from what she had gathered, and she was happy for that. She knew there was a (not so) brief period in his life when Hitsugaya had been practically in love with her, but something didn't sit right with Matsumoto. Somewhere deep inside, she could sense the conflict that would most likely arise with the involvement of Yuuki.

She let out a deep sigh. Worrying about her Captain was surely tiring. She needed some sake.

--

"Toushiro?"

"How many times have I told you that it's Captain… you didn't leave yet?" Hitsugaya answered, staring intently at the door.

"Sorry?"

He turned to address Matsumoto with an exasperated sigh, only to stop halfway through with a rather surprised expression on his face. "Hinamori! What are you doing outside of your room?"

"I'm allowed to walk around in the hospital now… I'm going to be discharged soon. Didn't you know?" Hinamori answered with a confused smile. "What are you doing here? Do you know someone in there?"

"What?" He glanced at the door and realized. "Oh, uh, kind of… not… really?"

"Why don't we go in?" She suggested, cocking her head to one side.

"No!" He blurted out in panic. "I mean… no, that's not necessary. I don't know this person. I was just standing here to think."

"Oh. Okay." She could detect his lies in a second but she decided to let the matter go, but felt a spark of curiosity.

… _What was he hiding?_

--

Yuuki stared at the ceiling. Unohana had deemed her mentally stable for the past week and she was mostly left alone these days. She couldn't stop thinking when she was left alone. More accurately, she couldn't stop thinking about that mental-patient-Captain. Although she would admit that she had gone a little crazy on him… she couldn't help it. Something was strange about him and she thought it was all too possible for him to be a spy.

How did he know her name in the first place? And what was up with his reaction? Had he been looking for her… so he could bring her back to _him?_

She shook her head. No, this place was safe. It had been nearly three weeks since her arrival to this hospital and nothing had happened to her. The shinigami she had encountered (who were part of the medical division, as she'd been informed) had all been friendly and caring. Unohana in particular was someone she had grown fond of… fond enough to trust. Unohana had told her it was safe here, and so had that white-haired captain… so surely… surely he wasn't one of _them_.

But still, something was different about him. There was something in his eyes that she couldn't quite place. The way he looked at her was different, softer perhaps, than the men she was familiar with. Sighing, she reached out towards the ceiling.

If only someone could answer her questions.

--

"Captain, you're _still_ here?" Matsumoto asked, mouth open in surprise.

Hitsugaya turned to face her with a questioning glance, and then realized what she meant. "No, I got a little sidetracked. What are you doing back here?"

"I have a message to deliver…" She trailed off, not wanting to reveal any more.

"What kind of message?"

"It's for Yuuki." Matsumoto answered bluntly and stepped past him to get to the door.

"Yuuki? Who sent you?" He inquired, slightly uncomfortable with the idea.

She looked down at the floor, assuming it was inevitable that he would know anyways. "Yuuki is going to start her training at the Shinigami Academy."

Hitsugaya felt a rush of shivers down his spine. He did not like that idea at all. He looked up at Matsumoto and asked, "When?"

"Tomorrow."

--

The door flew open and Yuuki jolted upright in surprise. Her eyes were drawn to the white hair immediately and she felt strangely nervous. Behind him was a shinigami she recognized from the very first day. She looked back to his face.

He looked angry. Not just angry, but like-he-was-going-to-kill-someone-angry.

Yuuki clutched the covers to herself, a sense of horror going through her. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you were a Captain! Unohana confirmed it so… I believe you now!"

He took a few long strides towards her, his arm shooting out mechanically to grab her wrist and jerking her upright into a standing position.

"Captain, what are you doing!" Matsumoto shouted, rushing to their side.

Yuuki struggled from his grasp, twisting her hand in hopes of getting free. She felt shivers go through her but she desperately tried to convince herself that he was not one of them. He was a shinigami Captain. He would never do anything to hurt her. He had said so himself.

"We're leaving." He muttered in a low voice, as he began to pull her along towards the door.

"Huh? Where are we going?" She asked, attempting to mask her fear.

He froze. Those words. Her words. He remembered them distinctly when he had forced her to go to that terrible mall or whatever it was with him. He turned slowly towards her, still keeping a firm grasp on her wrist. Even that childish manner had been the same…

Yuuki stared back at him, the terror fully exposed on her face.

"What did you say…?"

"I-I just asked w-where we're g-going…" She stammered, taking a step back. The intensity in his eyes was intimidating. Frightening.

He shut his mouth, realizing what he was doing. He dropped her wrist abruptly, also taking a step back. He needed to calm down. He needed to stop doing this. But no matter how much he tried to convince himself that she wasn't just all there… he couldn't stop wishing.

Matsumoto observed the scene, understanding what was happening, she intervened, "Captain Hitsugaya was just here to bring you to the Commander-General. In his excitement, he must have forgotten _my_ message that it wouldn't be necessary."

"Yes." He answered dully. He turned around, letting out a deep breath of air. "My mistake."

"Yuuki, I'm pleased to inform you that you will be starting at the Academy tomorrow. The new semester starts tomorrow so the Commander-General figured it was a good idea to place you into a class. That way you'll be able to learn amongst people who are more towards your skill level." Matsumoto stated hastily. "You'll be moving into another residence with the fourth division. That's Captain Unohana's medical division."

"Oh." Yuuki replied with a slight frown. "Okay then. I guess I'll get ready. If that's all… I'm feeling kind of tired. I think I need to go to sleep."

"Of course." Matsumoto answered with a small smile and made her way to the door. "Captain?"

"I'll be right there." Hitsugaya said with a nod.

Matsumoto returned the nod and disappeared out the door.

He turned to face Yuuki who had seated herself on the bed. Her expression was unreadable. He cleared his throat before saying, "I uh, I just wanted to apologize for that."

She smiled awkwardly in his direction. "That's okay."

"I just want you to know that I…" He trailed off, catching himself in the act. What was he trying to say? He wanted to tell her everything. He wanted to yell and scream what he felt inside, but he couldn't.

She looked back at him with an innocent curiosity.

He forced a smile and answered, "I wish you good luck with the Academy tomorrow."

--

A/N: I'm soo happy to see some of my reviewers back (you know who you are)! You know you're reviews are the highlight to my day. Thanks guys! I must say that some of you have very interesting theories. ; ) Anyways, with this chapter I really wanted to depict Hitsugaya's frustration and pain… I don't think I did that too well though, haha. As expected, the next chapter our Yuuki will finally go on her journey to becoming a shinigami! No giveaways on that one though. Next chapter will probably come out in a week or two. I'm trying to do one every week so people don't go crazy with the waiting, but as always, time is of the essence. Once again, please review! I really love reading about the readers' thoughts and how they feel about the chapter… plus I'm trying to get the old flow of reviewers back and also new readers too. Thanks again! : )


	7. Chapter Six

Yuuki stood frozen in the doorway as multiple pairs of eyes stared at her. She had thought once she wore the required uniform she would be invincible. Now, however, she could feel her fleeting confidence diminish without delay. Taking a step back, she made an unintelligible noise and forced herself to tear her eyes away from the intimidating gazes.

"Welcome to the Academy, Yuuki!" The instructor greeted her with a false enthusiasm, eyeing her up and down.

Yuuki turned to her instructor without a word, nearly gasping in surprise. She had expected a seasoned professional, someone who was probably old, wise and certainly not so… _womanly. _She forced a smile in his (her?) general direction, unsure of what to say.

"My name is Yumichika Ayasegawa and I'll be your homeroom teacher for the duration of your training. If you have any problems, you are to report to me." He informed in a professional tone, as he leaned forward to look at her closely. His voice chipped a little higher as he added, "You're rather pretty… but not to my standard, of course."

Yuuki gawked at her new instructor with a sour expression. Was this for real? How was this she-man-thing supposed to teach her how to _fight?_

"Is this the new prodigy or whatever, Teach?" A new voice interrupted the silence, with a small chuckle. "Looks like I could snap her in half."

She turned to the speaker, opening her mouth to reply, and then shut it awkwardly as she realized she didn't know what to reply with.

"Now, just because you're jealous of her early entrance, or maybe her beauty, Kai, doesn't mean you have to bring her down. Shinigami use teamwork at all times, and if you can't cooperate with your classmate, surely, you won't be able to do so as a Shinigami." Yumichika stated rather sternly.

"Whatever." Kai mumbled, crossing his arms in embarrassment at the 'beauty' comment.

"Well then, you guys know you're schedule but for the sake of Yuuki I will recite it once more. First you have hand-to-hand combat for two hours, kidou for an additional two hours, a small break, and lastly, swordsmanship for two hours." Yumichika reiterated. "Now who wants to volunteer as Yuuki's guide…?"

The class remained silent, even Kai who had opened up to be obnoxious was as quiet as a mouse.

Yuuki grumbled in frustration. Her first day was _not_ going as well as she had expected. She had figured she would be able to make a lot of friends, but judging by these students in her class, she paled in comparison. They looked the part, their bodies toned and their faces aged. She looked nowhere near to their standard.

"How about…"

The door swung open with a sudden creak, and the class erupted in surprised gasps and shouts as they realized who had walked into their humble classroom.

"Man, what's with all the prodigies?" Kai drawled, drumming his fingers along the wooden table top.

Hitsugaya glanced in his general direction, his hand still resting on the door. He could tell he would be troublesome, but he paid no mind to him and turned to Yuuki with a slight smile. He cleared his throat in a business-like matter before stating, "I'll be taking her around."

Yuuki stared at the white-haired 'prodigy' with a dumbfounded expression. Yumichika mirrored her expression as he exchanged confused glances with Hitsugaya.

"Oh, uh, if you say so… Captain." He finished with a slight trail to his words.

Hitsugaya nodded briskly, shooting him an 'I'll-explain-later' look before turning back to Yuuki. "So, where to?"

--

"Can I ask you a question?"

He turned to glance at Yuuki with a slightly surprised reaction, wondering what she was going to ask. He nodded in reply.

"Are you a stalker or something?" She questioned bluntly, not even sparing him a glance.

His curious expression immediately turned sour, but all the same, he could feel a small flutter in his stomach which he would not acknowledge as nerves.

"I mean not that I wish you were, but you're kind of always… around?" She continued with an uncertain smile.

"I'm ordered to do this." Hitsugaya answered plainly. He didn't want to say anything he shouldn't, nor trigger a reaction from her.

"Oh…" She trailed off, not knowing what to say.

"So who was that kid who made a comment on prodigies?" He piped in a little too soon and winced. Surely small talk wasn't against the rules, right?

"Oh, er… I think his name was Kai." She answered and gave him a questioning glance.

He nodded slowly as if processing the name in his brain. In a firm voice he added, "Stay away from him."

Yuuki continued walking, hardly paying attention to what he said. When it finally registered she turned back around. "Wait, what?"

"I don't like him." He replied. It wasn't that Kai was suspicious; it was more like he didn't want any person – or _guy_ – for that matter closing in on her. He tried to convince himself that it was solely for her protection.

"What, is that part of your orders too?" She asked with a frown. "Besides, I didn't like that Kai person in the first place. Also, you shouldn't call him 'kid' because he looked older than you."

He held back the irritation. Any movement geared towards anger would only frighten her. He forced a smile before answering in the most collective manner possible, "Yes, I suppose so. But I am greater than him in rank, so I can call him whatever I want."

Yuuki frowned. His logic was indeed correct.

They walked in silence until they neared their goal destination. It was a vast, empty expanse of an area with a dirt floor that looked like it'd been swept to perfectly level.

"Anyways, this is the outdoor training ground for hand-to-hand combat. It'll also be used for swordsmanship so remember where it is. Kidou is in a different wing of the building. I'll show you when I come back." Hitsugaya informed.

"Wait, you're not staying here?!" Yuuki inquired with slight panic.

"No, I'm just here to escort you to your classes." He confirmed.

"But I don't know anyone…"

Hitsugaya turned to look at her and felt a pang of guilt. She looked so sad. The confidence she had expressed before had vanished. He forced another smile, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure you'll be able to make friends easily."

She jumped slightly at the contact but forced herself to calm down. This Captain was the closest she had to a friend around here and he was interesting. Forcing a smile onto her face, she gave himself (or maybe herself) a reassuring nod. After all, she didn't want to look like some needy person who had to be babied all the time.

"Alright, I'll see you later, then."

--

"I didn't know you were Yuuki's homeroom teacher, Yumichika." Hitsugaya commented. "In fact, I didn't know you taught at all."

"I don't." Yumichika answered with a sigh. "This was forced upon me. It's all part of the cause, I guess."

"Who else is involved?"

Yumichika rubbed his chin, thinking. "There's Ikkaku… he's her swordsmanship teacher. Then there's Hanataro for the Academy's medical centre. Some of the shinigami have gone undercover as students to ensure her safety. I take it you're her… bodyguard?"

"I guess." He mumbled. "The Commander-General ordered me not to interfere with her training."

"Makes sense." Yumichika replied with nonchalance.

"How?"

"Well, things could get hectic for her if you're constantly around trying to stir up her memories." He answered.

"I do _not_ constantly try to stir up her memories." Hitsugaya stated in an irritated tone.

"Matsumoto is worried about you. Frankly, I think we're all worried about you, _Captain." _Yumichika commented. He dropped his voice a notch and added, "I didn't talk to her much when I was there… but I could see she was a beautiful person, inside and out."

Hitsugaya smiled slightly at the comment. "Yes, she was and still is."

--

"So, how was your first day?" Hitsugaya questioned, attempting to chat once more.

"I don't really want to talk about it." Yuuki answered as she let out a deep sigh, thinking about her day had really gone. It had been terrible. No, beyond terrible. She couldn't get any of the basic concepts down, let alone hold a sword properly without dropping it. They were heavier than she had ever imagined. She had turned into the laughing stock of her class, and that Kai person was no help either… always making snide remarks about how she wasn't a 'prodigy' after all.

"Okay." He acknowledged with a nod.

"Now that my classes are over for the day, what are you going to do?" "I actually have a meeting to go to." He replied.

"Oh …" Yuuki trailed off, unsure of how to continue the conversation. She could honestly admit to herself that she wanted to be around this captain, something about him was mysterious and she wanted to know more. But another part of her found the situation socially awkward, and still she felt a tad uncomfortable in his presence.

Hitsugaya observed her silently. She looked so defeated and tired. This was exactly what he had been trying to avoid. He could tell from the beginning that she wasn't shinigami material. Her reiatsu may be abnormally high, but nothing about her had the signs of a prodigy. This was only a trying experience for her. He slowed his pace and she followed suit.

"Why are you walking so slowly? Aren't you supposed to go to that meeting?"

"Yeah, but it's not for another hour or so." He answered, and then as an afterthought added, "Do you like ice cream?"

"I've never tried it." Yuuki replied truthfully with an odd expression on her face. Why was he asking _that_ all of a sudden?

He felt another pang of guilt. If Yuuki were still alive right now she would have answered much differently. He cleared his throat, suddenly finding the situation awkward and his confidence slowly dissolving. "So, uh, do you want to try it?"

She stopped walking, taken back by the question. She felt her face flush and she couldn't bring herself to look at him. What was he trying to do?

"I mean, I was just asking… if not that's okay too… you don't have to say yes because I'm a Captain or something…" He commented uneasily, feeling like a total fool. He was treading on dangerous waters and really needed to control himself. In fact, he could really go for a cup of sake to calm his nerves right about now.

There was an uncomfortable silence between them.

"I…" They both said at the same time and then stopped.

"Uh, you go ahead." Hitsugaya urged, feeling even more embarrassed. He hoped no one he knew was listening on this conversation.

"Oh, no… you can go first…" Yuuki squeaked, covering her face with her hands. This was _not_ going well.

"No, I insist."

"Er, okay." She answered, forcing herself to look at him. His sea green eyes stared back at her and she dropped her gaze immediately. "Okay. Sure. I don't have anything to do anyway."

Hitsugaya let out the breath he had been holding. He had half expected her to yell at him for being mental again, and half expected her to be freaked out of her mind and possibly run away.

The meeting could wait a while.

--

**A/N:** Okay so I cut it into two parts so the next chapter will be of Yuuki and Hitsugaya together. Yay! Sorry for the long wait, I ended up rewriting this chapter (currently 1:13AM) because I thought the first version wasn't good enough. Anyway, I'll try to make the next chapter up faster this time. Also, thanks for the reviews!! I was actually really happy to see my fic was recommended to read! Nice to see some new readers as they are always welcome. To answer **LadyChaos1011,** this fic is before the Winter War and most likely won't relate to that. If you guys have any other questions, feel free to ask because I'll try to answer them (as long as you're not asking for spoilers)! :P **Don't forget to review!**


	8. Chapter Seven

Yuuki shifted awkwardly in the seat, twirling her spoon around the bowl of ice cream. She felt torn out of context as she stared vacantly around the office room. She had a strong feeling that she _really_ shouldn't be here.

"Aren't you going to eat it?" Hitsugaya drawled whilst nervously pouring himself a cup of sake.

"Oh." Yuuki yelped, startled by the question. "Yes, I suppose I will… um, nice… office?"

"Thanks." He replied and carefully set the sake bottle to the side before picking up his cup.

She took a small bite of the ice cream and relished the coolness that passed over her tongue. She didn't know it was going to be _this_ good. She shoveled in a few more spoonfuls hungrily, and then as if remembering her manners, stopped abruptly. "Aren't you going to have some too?"

"No." Hitsugaya answered, slightly holding out his cup for her to see.

Yuuki stared at him for a long time, a troubled expression on her face. "Aren't you too young to drink?"

He set the cup back down on the desk, suddenly uncertain of his actions. Was she uncomfortable? Did she not like people who drank? Not that he did frequently anyway. With a shake of his head he answered, "Not really."

She seemed to shrink back into the chair at his reply but stated just above a whisper, "You shouldn't drink. People do bad things when they're drunk."

He almost blurted out a 'what happened' but stopped himself in time. He could sense her obvious discomfort and pushed the cup to the side, no longer wanting it.

Yuuki didn't bother for him to reply and hastily changed the subject. "I'm really glad I met you, you know. I mean I thought you were kind of crazy, but after thinking… I think you're really cool."

"You mean you seriously thought I was a mental patient?" He questioned with mixed feelings. He wasn't quite sure if he should be happy about the fact that he's now considered 'cool' or insulted that she had thought he was crazy.

"Yeah, I mean your white hair is kind of… strange."

He sighed. Hair comments _again. _He bit back a retort and asked, "Well, since you've had some ice cream, are you sure you don't want to talk about your day?"

She stared at him for a moment, feeling a tad confused with his concern. Sighing, she placed the empty bowl on the table. "I guess you're really curious huh…"

He nodded in reply.

"I suck." She admitted. "I couldn't do anything. I couldn't even hold the sword properly… how sad is that? Everyone could do basic kidou or whatever it was already and I had trouble _attempting_ one."

He saw her disappointed face and almost regretted asking. "Well, you can't expect to master everything in a day."

"I guess… but I feel like I'm really behind…" She trailed off for a moment and then added. "I mean look at you, you're like the same age as me and you're already a Captain."

"Well I guess I was just lucky? And I'm a lot older than you think."

"I heard you're a prodigy." Yuuki stated with a small sigh. "You have quite the fan base in my class. Tons of the girls were gushing over how cool you are… even though they look way older than you."

He winced at the comment but kept his calm. He couldn't care less about what those students thought about him.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" Yuuki asked with a slight frown as she watched him still as calm and collected as before.

He glanced at her with a genuine curiosity. "Like what?"

"I don't know, maybe how you really are a prodigy? Or that you're really cool or something? I mean if I was in your situation, I'd totally tell everybody…" She answered, trailing off. She wondered if she was making a total idiot out of herself.

"You know… being a prodigy isn't as great as you make it to be." Hitsugaya answered briefly before looking away.

"What couldn't be great about being a genius?"

He thought for a moment, and then answered, "There are expectations."

"Expectations?" Yuuki repeated, hoping he'd continue.

Hitsugaya returned his gaze to Yuuki who was staring eagerly in his direction. He could've sworn his heart missed a beat, but he ignored his nerves. With a small sigh he answered quietly, "You have to leave your childhood behind."

--

"Where is Toushirou Hitsugaya?" The Commander-General questioned the silent audience as each Captain's eyes fixated on the unusually empty seat.

Not a soul dared to answer for it was clearly a rhetorical question. Each Captain had their own ideas of where he might be, but they all drew to the same conclusion: Yuuki.

"It appears that since the arrival of Yuuki Kurosaki, Captain Hitsugaya has had trouble adjusting." Ukitake offered with as much confidence as he could.

There was a murmur amongst the Captains, many nodding in agreement.

"It was already troublesome for Captain Hitsugaya to fall in love with a…" Soi Fong trailed off and muttered. "Human."

"Do you forget you were once human too, Soi Fong?" Shunsui interrupted in defence. "I suggest we give him time to adjust to this sudden situation."

There was a dull silence in the room as everyone considered Shunsui's suggestion.

"Time is not something we can lose." The Commander-General's raspy voice broke the silence. "Regardless of the situation at hand, a Captain is required to be present on important meetings on time. The fact of the matter is, Captain Hitsugaya is late for yet another … and there is only himself to blame."

"But surely Yuuki's enrollment into the Academy must be affecting him." Ukitake commented.

"Of course it is." Kenpachi piped in with a scowl. "It's affecting me also, knowing a powerless _child_ is there. No way in hell is it possible for her to even survive."

"It pains me also." Mayuri stated with a drawn out sigh. "She is clearly a great candidate for shinigami experimental research. Her so-called ability could net us an instant victory over Aizen."

There was a disapproving grunt from Yamamoto. "There will be no experimentation. She is not a test subject for you, Mayuri. I understand that you are aware of her unstable condition and the placement of our own Shinigami within her unit in order to contain her if her reiatsu overdrives. She may be powerless at this moment, but I assure you, knowing Kurosaki's capabilities, Yuuki will be beneficial to Soul Society."

--

Yuuki looked away from him, a little overwhelmed by the magnitude of his words, but in a sense she also understood. Hadn't she lost her only family? Hadn't she and countless others also been forced to give up her childhood for the sake of those… _men?_ She shuddered at the thought, drawing her knees close to her chest.

"But it's all for the cause, I guess." Hitsugaya added lightly. He gripped the side of the desk until his knuckles turned white as he witnessed her pained expression. What had she gone through?

"Yes, I suppose it is." She replied, forcing a smile. "Shouldn't you be going to the meeting now?"

Hitsugaya glanced at the clock, and with one fluid motion he pushed his chair back and stood. Had that much time passed already? "Oh shit, I'm late!

Yuuki stood also, surprised by his outburst. She'd figured he was too refined and polite to swear. Ignoring her thoughts, she quickly rushed to his side, not really knowing what to do. "S-sorry, I didn't realize that much time passed… I should've warned you…"

"It's fine." He cut in as he silently wondered where the hell Matsumoto had been when he needed her. "I better get going."

Yuuki nodded and shuffled out of the way as he hurried past her, his white Captain's robe billowing out behind him like a fan. She saw something glimmer from in-between the folds, and something dropped to the ground.

"Wait!" Yuuki called after him as she rushed to pick up the fallen object. "You dropped…"

He turned towards her, stopping mid sprint. "What?"

She stood there frozen, staring at the ground without a word.

Hitsugaya neared her, wondering what she was staring so intently at. He glanced at the ground and nearly stopped breathing.

Yuuki continued to stare at, the heart that glimmered faintly under the natural light. A few sequins were missing, a sign that Captain Hitsugaya, of all people, either cherished it or detested it. She could feel her breathing shallow. It looked ridiculously out of place.

But why did it look so familiar?

--

**A/N**: Once again, so sorry for the late update! I was pretty busy with school these past couple of weeks but I tried to finish this ASAP. The chapter is kind of short (once again, apologies) but I wanted it that way. Thanks a lot for the reviews everybody! I'm a little disappointed with the number of reviews on the last chapter (kind of made me wonder if it was crappy hahaha) but no worries, I still appreciate everybody's reviews! : ) Once again thanks for the comments, I really enjoy reading them & please don't forget to review! Happy Thanksgiving (if you're in Canada)!

"

"


	9. Chapter Eight

_Yuuki? _

Hitsugaya called for her silently, eyes wide with a combination of shock and sudden desperation. He watched her blink a few times as if to cast away an unnecessary thought, and then bend down to pick it up.

"You… dropped this." Yuuki reiterated, handing it to him.

His arm shot out robotically to take it from her, but stopped, his hand hovering above hers. His sense of rationality told him to stop acting like an idiot and take it from her, but no matter what he told himself… he had to know. He murmured, "Do you… do you remember?"

"What?"

He let out the breath he had unknowingly been holding, hastily grabbing the object from her hand and turning away from her. "You should leave."

"Right." Yuuki mumbled, stepping past him. She stopped at the doorway and added, "Have fun at your meeting."

He nodded half heartedly and watched her exit. He had been so stupid to think that she remembered just because of _that_. He was even more stupid to be carrying that little trinket like a child. Her reply had been quick and crushing, she had absolutely no idea what he was even asking. He crushed the heart in his hand, ignoring the sickening wheezing noise it made in reply.

If he could hear his own heart, he'd bet it sounded just like that when being squeezed.

--

Yuuki shuffled along the hallway, ignoring the dumbfounded stares of the shinigami she passed by. She took small, cautious steps, as if planning every single one of them. What was up with his reaction?

She initially thought she'd embarassed him somehow. If she was a guy and had been caught with a glittery heart in her pocket, she'd be embarrassed too. What kind of male in their right mind would have one of those anyway? And of all people, Captain Toushirou Hitsugaya was the one with it.

Maybe she'd offended him? By the looks of it, it _had_ looked pretty worn out… like he'd had it for a long time or really adored it. But then why would he have that anyway? She stopped walking for a moment, as she also paused that thought, thinking of who could give it to him. If it had been given to him, it was probably a girlfriend… or maybe his mom… or sister? She shrugged and continued walking.

It had to be embarrassment, she concluded. It was simply way too out of place (and kind of _weird_) for him to have something like that. It just didn't make sense. He'd probably picked it up somewhere and had forgotten to throw it out. Yes, it had to be embarrassment.

For some reason, she couldn't picture him having a girlfriend, or even family for that matter.

--

"The meeting ended." The Commander-General's deep voice broke Hitsugaya's stunned silence.

"My deepest apologies." Hitsugaya mumbled, bowing his head. "I lost track of time…"

"Enough." He cut in with such a force that Hitsugaya couldn't help but shut his mouth. "I think it is I who should be apologizing to you."

Hitsugaya continued nodding his head, until he finally understood what he'd just heard. His head jerked up unnaturally, a questioning glance in his eyes.

"For what I'm about to say." The Commander-General clarified. "I think you understood beforehand why I placed you near her. It appears that it was not a particularly good idea. I had hoped that you would be able to overcome those… emotions and perhaps benefit your condition. However, that does not appear to be the case, as I am told your actions have been rather erratic and potentially detrimental to Yuuki's state of mind. For both your interests, I am prohibiting you from meeting her."

He could feel his whole being go cold at those very words. "I need to help her…"

"Unohana has clearly stated that if she were to undergo shock she could become severely mentally unstable. You are not helping her by doing this." Yamamoto interrupted with a disapproving glance. "Do not forget that what you did back in the Human World almost lost you your status as a Captain. Yuuki is no longer the one you remember."

Hitsugaya could feel his face burning from humiliation and anger. He swallowed, coming quickly to a new resolve. He lifted his gaze from the floor to the Commander-General's eyes. "She is going to regain her memories."

He looked slightly taken back by the hardness of Hitsugaya's tone. There was a slight but distinct surprise visible in his eyes and Hitsugaya caught it. "You're dismissed."

Hitsugaya nodded, leaving immediately.

If he wasn't allowed to go to her, he'd make sure she came to him.

--

"_Do you… do you remember?"_

The words could be heard clearly in her mind, and no matter how hard she tried to ignore it, she couldn't help but wonder what he'd meant. He looked a little crazed, like he was talking to someone else… but he had been clearly looking at her.

"Yuuki?"

Yuuki jerked upright, arms flailing as she settled into a sitting position. She scrambled to get up and open the sliding door. "Y-yes!"

"You have been in your room for a long time." Unohana commented with a faint smile. "Did your first day not go very well?"

"Ah, Captain Unohana." Yuuki bowed her head and shuffled to the side to let her step into her room. "It was… it was… okay."

"That's good." Unohana nodded and motioned for her to sit down. "It's time for a check up."

"But I feel fine." Yuuki answered with a confused look on her face.

"I know. It's just for the hospital to records, to make sure you're still okay."

She nodded in silent agreement and took a seat on the wooden chair, watching as Captain Unohana took out various medical supplies. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course." Unohana replied, scribbling down a few things on her notebook.

"Can you tell me about Captain Hitsugaya?"

She dropped her pen in surprise, it made a small noise as it made contact with the wooden floor and went rolling. She recollected herself quickly, "Oh, how clumsy of me. But why do you want to know about him?"

"I don't know." Yuuki admitted in a resigned matter. She wanted to tell her about the _incident_, but she really didn't want to embarrass him any further by spreading potential rumors. With a weak smile she added, "He helped me get around in the academy today."

Unohana could feel a great sense of relief. So _that_ was why. She reached down to pick up the dropped pen. "What do you want to know?"

"Well, first of all. Is his hair really naturally white?"

--

"Matsumoto." Hitsugaya called.

"Hmm?" She answered back in a sing-songy voice.

"Don't you think this is all very weird?"

"What is?" She asked, glancing at Hitsugaya who was slouched over his desk.

"Nobody is able to locate or recognize the gang of people that took Yuuki." He answered. "It's like they disappeared."

"You don't even know if it was a gang, Captain." She pointed out with a drawn out sigh. "I think you're worrying over this too much."

"It can only be a gang if there was illegal trafficking involved." Hitsguaya replied. "From what Yuuki has mentioned about it, I can only assume they are organized and know what they're doing. If it wasn't for Kenpachi she wouldn't have escaped anyway."

"District 80 is chaos… there's no way you'll be able to fish out the culprit." Matsumoto commented.

"That's what makes it suspicious. If Kenpachi went down there and beat up or killed them and they're part of a large organized gang, don't you think there would be some kind of _hunt_ for him?" He added with a frown.

"I guess they know not to mess with Shinigami?"

"Impossible." He cut in.

"What makes you think that?" She asked, downing a cup of sake.

"I read through the file and Yuuki only mentioned the sound of bells and Kenpachi's hairstyle."

"What does that have to do with anything?" She looked over at him with a questioning glance. Now she was getting interested.

"Think about it. If you were suddenly thrown to the ground and saw a person of Kenpachi's size in front of you… what would catch your attention?" He asked, this time looking back at Matsumoto.

"Well, I suppose his clothes…?" She trailed off, unsure of where he was going with all this.

"Exactly." He murmured. "I'm assuming the room had to be relatively dark, and since Yuuki didn't mention what he was wearing that means she couldn't see them. The clothes must have been dark, so he wasn't wearing his captain's robe."

"Then how did she see his hair?"

"She heard the sound of the bells and her eyes instantly drew to point of noise, which happened to be his hair. From whatever small light source there was, she could probably only see the bizarre outline." He commented, rubbing at his temples.

"So this leads to…?" She set the cup of sake down, staring blankly at him.

"The perpetrators didn't know he was a Shinigami. Kenpachi only depends on brute strength; he has none of the redeeming qualities of a Shinigami other than his status as shown by the standard robes. There was no way they could have."

--

Yuuki stared at the ceiling, rubbing her arm where Unohana had taken a blood sample. She didn't know how taking blood was related to her condition, but she figured it was just a perfunctory action. She had learned a great deal about the elusive and mysterious Captain.

First and foremost, his hair was indeed natural, as confirmed by Unohana. She was certain Unohana wouldn't lie to her about that, considering she'd even given a thorough, scientific explanation on recessive genes and alleles or whatever junk it was. She'd also learned his zanpakutou was the strongest of all ice element zanpakutou. She'd been told it was like a dragon with released into it's shikai form.

She had found it all very impressive, and figured it only made sense for him to have such a powerful zanpakutou for he was the youngest Captain in Seireitei. She had also briefly wondered if she too would be able to unlock a zanpakutou of her own.

But the one piece of information which she found the most interesting was the fact that he had a grandmother. She could tell that Unohana had found it strange for her to ask about his family, but she had answered her anyways. It made her feel like she could relate to him a little more now that he seemed a little less intimidating.

She let out a sigh, turning to the side.

She really didn't want to go to back to the academy tomorrow.

--

**A/N:** Wow, first I'm so happy that I hit the 100 mark for reviews! I know for Promise it took me about sixteen chapters (out of the twenty) to accumulate that much! So big thanks to everybody who has been reviewing for this story so far, I really appreciate it and love reading everybody's thoughts and input. : ) It looks like a lot of people caught on to what it was Hitsugaya dropped… so yes, **13Lulu** and **dokuki **you are correct. **girl-of-anime**; it was not the hairclip she found but the cellphone strap. Good guess though! I can say it may be coming in future chapters. ; ) **littleva** I know, I dislike having to write swear words for Hitsugaya but I hope it doesn't deter from his character, haha. **erina destiny** I made this chapter an extra page long just for you! And **Naishou**, I'm afraid I won't be able to reveal any details. I'd reply to everybody but I think this author's note is getting a bit too long. Next chapter, I'll promise to reply to everyone so if you have any questions or concerns… make sure to include it in your review. Once again, thanks a lot everybody for reviewing, really happy about reaching 100 reviews!! Don't forget to review for this one too! : )

"


	10. Chapter Nine

Her arms were sore.

Her legs felt like jello.

Her whole body was hurting.

"Again!" Ikkaku yelled enthusiastically, haphazardly pointing at Yuuki and her partner.

With a tiresome sigh, Yuuki raised her practice sword once again. Her arms swayed, trying to keep it in balance. Her opponent was clearly more skilled and experienced than her. She was certain that it was too soon for her to be sparring, and too tired given her other classes had basically sucked out all life from her. She had just barely learned the basics, after all. She watched closely as her opponent took a step forward, and then brought his sword back as if preparing to strike.

She watched in silence, knowing it was a ruse. He'd done the same thing for the last few times, but whenever she had gone to strike, he was much quicker than her. It didn't help that she was constantly distracted with wondering why Captain Hitsugaya hadn't shown up as her 'guide' or whatever his job was.

"Focus, Yuuki!" Ikkaku instructed with an exasperated sigh.

Yuuki nodded, blinking a few times to concentrate. Maybe if she could just land a hit, Ikkaku sensei would stop badgering her all the time. She watched as her opponent lunged forward, sword raised in attack. She blocked it clumsily, stumbling backwards from the weight.

_Just one hit_. She reminded herself, looking for an opening. Her opponent raised his sword with both hands, pulling back for an even stronger strike that she probably wouldn't be able to block. She quickly leapt forward, swiping her sword upwards and stopping just at his rib. He stood there with a surprised expression on his face, sword still raised.

"Nice!" Ikkaku commented. He walked over towards the two, still frozen in their positions. "Now, let's observe this. If Yuuki was a little taller, or I guess had a longer sword, she could have targeted Kai's neck which would prove to be fatal in most cases. However, since she doesn't quite meet that height requirement and most likely couldn't handle a heavier sword, she should have jumped to reach that extra height. You guys can stop now."

Yuuki dropped her arms, relieved that she'd miraculously managed to land a hit. It was more by dumb luck than anything she'd impressed Ikkaku. Or at least, she hoped she did.

"Class dismissed!"

She watched as everybody returned the practice swords and she followed suit. It was only her second day and she still felt like an outsider. She knew she was being laughed at by the guys and made fun of by the girls. But she couldn't care less.

Anything was better than her old life.

---

"You look kind of like a creep, sitting up there, you know."

Hitsugaya grunted in reply, glancing down at Ikkaku below. He leapt down from the roof, landing soundly beside him. "And you ended the class early."

"Well, you know. I didn't want to risk the kids finding you hidden up there." Ikkaku replied.

"I was well hidden enough. They didn't suspect a thing." He answered back.

"Right." Ikkaku clapped a hand on his shoulder. "You don't have to worry about her, she's improving, albeit slowly."

"It's not that I'm worried about. Besides, I came here to ask you a favour." Hitsugaya reached into his pocket and revealed something in his hand.

"Whoa, isn't that…?"

"Yeah." He confirmed. "I want you to give this to her."

"Why don't _you_ do it?" Ikkaku exclaimed. "Isn't this against the mission? Or even against the law?"

"I'm not allowed to go near her. Why do you think I was in a tree for the past two hours? You won't get caught. It's just a hairpin, Ikkaku." He replied dryly. "If you're going to chicken out, I guess I can ask Yumichika."

"Hah!" Ikkaku scoffed, grabbing it from Hitsugaya's outstretched palm. "Fear is nonexistent to me."

"Thanks, I knew I could count on you."

---

Yuuki walked slowly. She didn't know why she was walking so slowly but she knew a small part of her hoped she would run into a certain white haired shinigami. She couldn't stop wondering where he'd went, and she was too scared to ask that homeroom teacher or Ikkaku sensei. She thought it was weird for him to suddenly not show up like that, but she tried to convince herself that it was because he was probably busy. He was a Captain after all, wasn't he?

She thought about her day and concluded that it had at least gone better than yesterday. Hand to hand combat was relatively okay, and swordsmanship was just difficult. She found that she liked kidou the best because it didn't require such great amounts of physical fitness.

Yuuki stopped walking, as she felt an unnatural breeze. She glanced behind her and then around her. That was odd; it had kind of given her the feeling that she was being followed.

"Where is she?!"

She nearly jumped at the sudden outraged yell she heard not too far from her. She could hear a series of panicked yells and the signs of struggling.

"Yuuki?"

She turned around to greet Unohana but was surprised to see her Vice Capatain instead.

"Ah, so it is you." Isane replied, looking relieved. "Captain Unohana wants to see you."

"Okay." Yuuki answered with a nod. "By the way, do you know what's happening up there?"

Isane glanced in the general direction, and Yuuki could see a flash of worry which was quickly gone. "Not sure," Isane replied as she began walking in the opposite direction. "It's probably just some academy students having a little dispute."

"Oh, okay." Yuuki agreed, falling into step with the Vice Captain.

"Better hurry, Unohana made it seem important." Isane urged with a smile.

Yuuki nodded, increasing her pace. She glanced back and saw a flash of orange and black rise up before it disappeared as quickly as it appeared.

---

"Captain."

Hitsugaya ignored Matsumoto as he continued to concentrate on his paperwork.

"_Captain."_

He continued to ignore her,

"'Shiro."

"_What?!" _Hitsugaya answered in an annoyed tone, frowning as he glanced up from his paperwork to see Matsumoto staring back at him with a hint of a smile.

"So you reply to that now, huh?" She concluded with a smug smile.

"What? No, what do you want? Can't you see I'm busy?" Hitsugaya shot back.

"I'm bored."

"Don't you have some kind of drinking date with your usual drinking buddies? You always do that when I have paperwork. Now maybe you haven't noticed, but this here on my desk is in fact, that dreaded paperwork." He retorted with an annoyed sigh. "I'm busy."

"Well, I was going to do that until I caught wind of some interesting news." Matsumoto explained with an insistent nod.

"Really? And what would that be."

Matsumoto shifted to one side. "Well, it's not exactly great news, I'd say."

"So what is it?" Hitsugaya urged with a hint of annoyance.

"Ichigo is here."

---

"We're going to have a lesson today." Unohana explained with a hint of a smile.

Yuuki shifted to one side, nodding slightly. She had no idea what kind of 'lesson' Unohana was planning.

"Do you know anything about the human anatomy?"

She shrugged her shoulders in reply, wondering that had to do with anything. She watched in silence as Unohana slid a book that she had not noticed sitting on the table towards her.

"This is a book that will teach you about it." Unohana commented, her fingertips gracing the cover. "I want you to start reading this each night."

Yuuki took the book and nearly gasped at its weight. It was heavier than it looked. She glanced at Unohana curiously and asked, "Umm, if you don't mind me asking… why?"

"I heard you were struggling in your classes." Unohana admitted.

She could feel her face flush with embarrassment. Did she suck that badly for her teachers to specifically call her out on it? She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and stammered, "I-I'll improve… I promise. I'll try really hard."

"That's good to hear, but that's not why."

Yuuki sighed out loud, both relieved and confused.

"I was told you were doing quite decently at kidou as well." She continued, her smile broadening. "Did you know there is a medical branch to kidou, Yuuki?"

Yuuki shook her head no, surprised. She had only thought there were defensive and offensive measures to kidou, it had never occurred to her that it would serve for medical purposes.

"Ah, I suppose you don't remember when you were brought here." Unohana recalled. "They require exceptional concentration as well as a biological understanding of the human body, but I believe you can do it."

"But aren't we different from humans?" Yuuki asked, frowning. She had been told that long ago everybody was once a human and that a human world existed beyond Soul Society.

"Yes, we are different. But as you know, we were all once human so when it comes to healing physical wounds, we are structurally the same. The only difference is that Shinigamis heal much quicker than humans." Unohana clarified.

Yuuki thought about it for a while, concluding that it did make sense. She glanced from the book in her hands and back to Unohana. "Do you remember your human life?"

Unohana stared at her in stunned silence, at loss for words. The eeriness of the situation was almost frightening, and she couldn't quite find the words to answer her.

"I think…" Yuuki continued, looking pensive. A curious pounding noise brought her back to attention, but she didn't think much of it. "I mean, what I wanted to ask was if it's normal to remember? Sometimes I feel—"

The door slid open with a sickening crack as it hit the other side with a powerful force. Yuuki could see Unohana's shocked face, and she too turned around to witness the scene.

There stood someone she had never seen before. His brilliant orange hair clashed with the black of his shinigami robes, and it oddly reminded her of Captain Hitsugaya. He was breathing hard, like he'd been running for miles.

Everything about him was foreign, unfamiliar, and random.

---

**A/N:** Oh God, I am SO SORRY for the super late update. I couldn't think of how to write this out properly and it took me a really long time to do. I'm not entirely happy with this, but it gets the point across. Thank you everyone for the reviews, as usual I really appreciate it and love reading them. Thanks for all the congratulations and **13Lulu, **I WISH I could get 500 reviews. Good luck, **ultima soul** on your story and thanks for the appreciation. **littleva**, I'm afraid I won't be able to reveal any details but I'm sure you will come to understand in the later chapters. **erina destiny **I'm so glad you caught that, I promise it'll get interesting soon. **Mina Luriya**, thanks so much for reading my story! Always like to see new readers. **Sakujoed**, thank you for stepping into the light, haha. Great to see new people. Alright, It's 1AM and I'm tired so I'm going to sleep. On an unrelated side note, I really dislike this new fanfiction account layout, but I guess I'll have to get used to it. **Don't forget to review!**


	11. Chapter Ten

Yuuki stared at the orange-haired shinigami in confusion.

"Leave, Ichigo." Unohana commanded, her tone as cold as ice. "You don't know what you're doing."

"I know exactly what I'm doing," Ichigo cut in, stepping into the room.

"Don't do this, Ichigo." Unohana warned, an uncharacteristic stern look was on her face and it scared Yuuki.

"Yuuki." Ichigo called, reaching out for her.

Yuuki backed away on reflex, nearly cringing at the sudden movement towards her.

He pulled his hand back like he'd been burned. He glanced at Unohana who was eyeing him carefully, and murmured, "I'm just here to deliver a message. Captain Unohana, if you would step outside please."

Unohana obliged, quickly following him and shutting the door behind them as they stepped outside. She motioned for Ichigo to follow her a bit farther from the room.

"You could have seriously jeopardized her health." Unohana stated with a disapproving sigh. "What are you doing here, Ichigo?"

"I'm not stupid enough to start blabbing about how she's my baby sister." He replied. "It took me quite a few fights to make it here. I think I'm in trouble."

"Yuuki is no longer who she was. You didn't answer my question, Ichigo."

He paused for a moment, taking a deep breath before answering, "I'm just here to make sure she's okay."

---

Yuuki crept out of the room and into the hallway. She couldn't help it, she was too curious about what they were talking about. She could tell as soon as that Ichigo person had called her name, he was not there to merely deliver a message. She peered around the doorway, disappointed that she couldn't see anyone. And then she heard it. The voices.

"_I'm not stupid enough to start blabbing about how she's my baby sister..." _

She froze, the rest of the words not entering her brain. Baby sister? Who? Her?

"_Yuuki is no longer who she was…"_

Who was she before? What was going on?

"_I'm just here to make sure she's okay."_

Yuuki could hear the distinct noise of footsteps nearing her. She couldn't think properly with all the activity going on in her brain. She heard the voices draw nearer, discussing probable consequences. She glanced around her to make sure nobody had seen her and did the only thing she could think of.

She ran.

---

Hitsugaya glanced at the window. It was dark already and he had just finished his paper work. Matsumoto was passed out on the couch, and for that he was thankful for. It was finally peaceful without her causing a ruckus. He hadn't been too surprised with the new of Ichigo, in fact, he had expected it to happen sooner or later. He had sensed the ongoing struggle, but had ignored it. He didn't want to get involved.

"_Try it…" _

He sighed audibly, peeved that his quiet thinking time was ruined by Matsumoto's habitual sleep talking. Why did she have to decide to fall asleep here, anyway? She had her own quarters with a comfortable bed to sleep in. Sometimes he suspected Matsumoto was doing it on purpose for the sole reason of annoying him.

"_It has carrots and cheese… it's good… cake…"_

It seemed she was having _another_ dream about cooking. He drummed his fingers along the edge of his desk, thinking about cake. He was never a fan of it, too sweet for his liking. The only time he'd ever _enjoyed _cake was with Yuuki, although he hadn't actually eaten any of it himself. He glanced at the window for a moment.

_That was strange. _He thought to himself as he was sure he had just felt a flicker of reiatsu similar to that of a hollow. He settled back into his chair, persuading himself that he was just being paranoid. His thoughts drifted back to Yuuki for the millionth time of the day. What would she be doing right now?

He paused the drumming, his index finger hovering above the desk. There it was again. He was sure he had felt it and he was certain it was a hollow. He glanced at Matsumoto who hadn't moved an inch, and figured she was probably in too deep a sleep to recognize the reiatsu. He pinched the bridge of his nose, thinking. Why would there be hollow in Seireitei? He was certain that nobody had noticed, otherwise a Hell butterfly would have come his way in seconds. Either something was wrong or he was just fast to notice. He assumed it was the latter, considering that from what he could tell the hollow was situated near him.

He cracked his neck, standing from his sitting position, being as careful as possible not to stir Matsumoto. He might as well take care of it.

---

Yuuki stumbled foreward, checking behind her every now and then. She didn't know where she was running. She had concluded that it was a stupid idea to have run in the first place. It was dark and she couldn't see properly. The streets of Seireitei were dull and barren with not a single person in sight. She expected as much as the hours were late. She sat down on the deserted pathway, trying to calm her breathing and kill the cramp in her side.

_Yuuki is no longer who she was._

The words repeated in her head, a phrase she couldn't decipher. What had Unohana been talking about? Who exactly was she before? She thought about her life, and she was certain of her past. Her parents had abandoned her and she had come to live with another couple who had taken her in. They were killed in a fire and then after that she had been taken. She ran the events through her mind in chronological order. Everything was there, no unexplained gaps of confusion or fuzzy remnants of lost memories.

She shook her head, exhaling. She had definitely felt that strange atmosphere as soon as that shinigami had walked in, and she had most definitely felt they were hiding something. He had mentioned something about a sister, and if she had heard correctly, _she_ was that very sister. If only she had someone to just talk to, someone to ask what the heck was going on.

"Hitsugaya." She breathed aloud, and then covered her mouth as if she'd just said something forbidden. He would know the answers, she was sure of it. She stood up, hoping that she would somehow find his division. She shut her eyes, trying to remember the pathways they took to get there.

"Think, Yuuki." She commanded herself, trying to mentally picture the streets of Seireitei. "Captain Hitsugaya. Captain Hitsugaya. Please bring me to Captain Hitsugaya."

She didn't know who she was talking to, really. It was more to herself in hopes that her brain would somehow trigger a reaction and automatically make her feet move in the correct direction. She felt the surrounding area considerably darken, and in confusion she opened her eyes.

A giant monster-like _thing_ that she'd never seen before loomed over her, snapping its jaws. She let out a frightened yelp, turning in the other direction. One of its clawed paws launched out in front of her, blocking the path. She cursed under her breath, wondering how she hadn't noticed something as enormous as it was. Surely, it had to have made a noise, but it had crept up on her, an absolute silent predator. She stood there, terrified and certain of her impending doom.

Its paw lifted, a whirl of dirt and dust in its wake. She stumbled forwards, as it let out a horrifying roar that made her ears hurt and her body shake. It leapt back, its hind legs propelling a powerful jump. She could see it more clearly from the distance and recognized its exoskeleton immediately.

_A hollow._

She wracked her brain for some kind of technique to delay it at the least so she could get away. With one leap it would be able to catch up with her. She was certain her limited kidou was not enough to do any damage to its massive size, nor did she have any weapon. She remembered Ikkaku sensei speaking about zanpakutou and she dearly wished she had one now. He had told the class that a zanpakutou was simply an extension of themselves, a part of them that would appear at the right time.

Yuuki exhaled. If this wasn't the right time there was no right time. She reached to her hip where it should be, praying that her hand would meet with something solid. She grasped for it, and felt nothing but air. The hollow snapped its jaws again, as if it couldn't wait to eat her. She froze, staring at the vacant spot by her hip, trying to make something appear from nothing.

She watched in silent horror as it lifted its paw to crush her. She concentrated hard; her kidou sensei had told her that the spells varied in power depending on one's own inner strength. If she could just compile everything together into one single attack, maybe she could cause some kind of damage.

"Hadou 4: Byakurai!" She recited, shooting her hand out as a weak sliver of lightning shot out from her fingertips and into the paw of the hollow. She inhaled, watching as it merely glanced at its uninjured paw for a moment before roaring in anger. She slammed her eyes shut, tears forming automatically. She thought of how her life had been wasted, of how her new parents had been killed, how she had been taken from her home and terrorized, and how she had been saved and brought here.

She was certain she was to die.

There was a cool breeze on her face that certainly didn't feel like the crushing weight of a hollow. She opened her eyes in genuine curiousity, instantly drawing to the white hair she recognized immediately. The tenth division symbol on his Captain's robe glared back at her, as if showing off its prestige.

"Run." Hitsugaya grimaced, struggling to keep it from crushing the both of them.

Yuuki stood there for a moment, incredibly relieved and joyful to see him Snapping back to her senses, she nodded, dashing to a safer spot, staying close but still keeping her distance. She watched in silence as the battle ensued, carefully observing.

Hitsugaya leapt backwards, retreating from the hollow. He sported a troubled frown, looking it up and down. He was certain it was weak, too weak to cross the spiritual border on its own… but it wasn't impossible for one to accidentally end up in Soul Society. He had been alarmed to see that Yuuki was its target, and it had tugged at his heartstrings in memory. He reminded himself that he had to keep cool, that he couldn't blow up the whole situation by losing control.

"Set upon the Frozen Heavens, Hyourinmaru!" He shouted, slashing his sword at the hollow. He would end it quickly.

Yuuki watched in awe as tendrils of ice began to curl around Captain Hitsugaya's sky darkened, as gloomy clouds drifted over the moon. She could feel his reiatsu increase considerably, and all she could do was watch. This must be the legendary ice zanpakutou everyone in her class had gushed about, and she was there to witness it firsthand. She observed his form, as he swung to the right, quickly stepping forward with his left foot to swipe the blade upwards. An impressive ice dragon emerged from his sword, snapping its jaws back at the hollow as it engulfed it whole. Streams of water from the dragon began to harden into ice immediately; the hollow became a frozen statue.

With a single strike, the hollow shattered, miniscule pieces of tiny ice rained down on her like diamonds in the sky. She could only gape at the scene before her, both beautiful and terrifying at the same time.

Hitsugaya let his shikai dissolve, still clutching his zanpakutou tightly until his knuckles turned white.

Yuuki ran over to him, at a loss for words. She had been saved by him; it was like he had known when to come. The situation was so mind-blowing that all she could do was stare as he stood there. As bizarre the encounter was, it all seemed so natural, like it was meant to be this way. She blinked a few times to make sure he was still there, and before she knew it, launched into his arms.

Hitsugaya stumbled back in surprise, dropping his sword and it landed on the ground with a clash.

Fate had a peculiar way of playing with him.

---

**A/N:** Yes, I'm evil. I had to leave a cliffy there because it was perfect for one. Finished this rather quickly, don't know if I'm happy with it. I don't think it flowed as nice as I thought it would in my head, but, oh well. I think my writing spirit is back because I just can't stop writing, haha. Thank you all for the reviews, I love reading them! **erina destiny, **I'll say that Unohana doesn't want Yuuki to remember because it would severely complicate issues between them. Now if she does remember is another matter entirely, which I cannot reveal for suspense purposes! **FireWingedWolf**, thank you for reading my story! I try to be as grammatically accurate as possible. **Naishou**, unfortunately I had to cut Ichigo's part short but there will be more of him. **littleva, **I actually planned on having a little showdown between Ichigo and Hitsugaya but I decided against it because I figured it would really complicate things. Great guess though! To everyone else that I didn't reply to (sorry) and thank you very much for your reviews! Don't feel bad if I didn't reply to you, I choose reviews that have some kind of question/idea/etc inside them so I can reply back properly, otherwise it would just be thanks over and over again. : ) **Don't forget to review **& if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to include them in your review!


	12. Chapter Eleven

Hitsugaya stood there, his arms hanging limply by his sides. He couldn't believe this was happening. In fact, he wasn't quite sure if it reallywas happening. On instinct, his arms shot up, hovering behind her for a moment. He could see his own hands, and for some reason they looked foreign, unfamiliar. He inhaled, his arms drawing nearer until his fingertips barely touched her back.

She pushed him away, a sudden expression of shock permeating through her.

He flinched, his arms dropping back to his side in a robotic manner.

"I-I'm sorry…. I don't know… why I just did that…" Yuuki stammered, staring at her own arms as if they were covered in murdered blood. "I d-didn't…"

"It's okay." He cut in smoothly, surprising himself with the passiveness of his tone. As if to reassure them both, he added, "You were just emotional."

"Yes." Yuuki muttered, embarrassed beyond words. "That must have been it. Thank you for saving my life."

"Yeah." He replied, bending down to retrieve his fallen sword. "You should go back."

She nodded in absolute agreement, getting away from Captain Hitsugaya to save her further embarrassment was all she wanted to do. She bowed slightly to him, making sure to avoid eye contact and hoping the shadows of the night concealed her crimson face.

Hitsugaya glanced at her with a half smile, sensing her immediate embarrassment. He pretended to scan the area for a moment, and then gave her a serious look. "There may be more hollows around, I'll take you back."

Yuuki sighed inwardly, both pleased and annoyed by his chivalry. He couldn't have picked a worse time to be a gentleman.

Hitsugaya walked a few paces forward, stopping and waiting for her to follow. Yuuki took a few steps towards him and they began to walk together in reserved silence.

"So, that was really cool." Yuuki began, her voice quivering. She stole a quick glance at the captain walking beside her. His face was expressionless, impassive and impossible to read. When the silence continued, she added, "I didn't know you were so strong Captain Hitsuga—.."

"Toushirou." He interrupted. "You should call me Toushirou."

Yuuki shut her mouth awkwardly, startled and perplexed by the sudden correction. She tried to fix the situation, meekly replying, "But you're a Captain…"

"I don't care." Hitsugaya answered smoothly. He turned to look at her very seriously. "We're friends, right? You should call me Toushirou. That's an order."

"R-right, _Toushirou_…" Yuuki answered, feeling weird as soon as she'd said it.

"Did you really think you would be able to fight that hollow?"

Yuuki stared at him for a moment before realizing that he was just trying to lighten up the mood. She nodded slowly, and then shook her head.

"I'll take that as a yes you thought so but then figured out you couldn't." He stated with a strained smile. "Next time, you should run. "

"Well." She breathed, feeling rather stupid. "I was going to but then that thing kept blocking my way."

"Maybe you weren't fast enough."

She felt an internal blow to her pride and a flicker of anger that was hard to ignore. She let out a curt cough and retorted, "Maybe you just have an advantage because of your flashy white hair. I bet that hollow was so distracted that you could easily kill it."

"You know what; maybe you should go back to calling me Captain Hitsugaya." He replied, pretending to be angered.

Yuuki dropped her gaze to the ground immediately, silently thinking that she'd seriously stepped out of line this time. For a split second she had forgotten her rank. "Sorry. I'm really sorry; I didn't mean to disrespect you."

"It was a joke, Yuuki." He clarified.

"Oh." Yuuki answered, feeling relieved and then stupid again. "You have a terrible tendency of making people feel stupid."

"I suppose." He replied, briefly touching her elbow to guide her to one side.

Yuuki smiled secretly to herself, flattered by his action.

"You should really watch where you're going." Hitsugaya stated flatly. "You almost tripped on a fallen tree branch."

She could feel the slight happiness melt away immediately, feeling stupid once again. This walk was taking a lot longer than she remembered it to be. "Are you sure we're going the right way?"

"Of course." He answered with undoubted confidence. He glanced at her to gauge her reaction and she seemed to take it in as the truth. Not that it was a lie, really. They really were going back to the medical division… just taking a few detours here and there.

"How come you weren't there today? At the academy, I mean…"

He looked startled by her question but was pleased that she'd asked. At least she was taking some kind of interest in him. He joked, "Why? Did you miss me?"

"Yes." Yuuki blurted out. She covered her mouth and then added, "I mean no. I mean not that I don't think you're a person to be missed I just…"

Hitsugaya nearly faltered in his steady pace, but kept himself calm. He surely wasn't expecting _that_. He listened to her ramble for a half a minute or so before cutting in, "I had some important duties."

"Oh." She answered, sounding relieved that she'd been stopped. "Well, I guess that means you're back tomorrow?"

"I'm not going to be helping you around the academy anymore." He admitted. "I've been pulled out due to Captain duties."

She was about to ask why when Captain Unohana seemed to appear out of nowhere. She hadn't realized they had reached the premises of the medical division already. Yuuki stepped away from Captain Hitsugaya on an impulse, shocked and slightly terrified of seeing her. She had temporarily forgotten the reason why she'd ran away in the first place and it all came back to her. How could she possibly explain?

"Yuuki!" She called, a disapproving tone evident in her voice.

"Captain Unohana." Hitsugaya greeted. "I was just returning Yuuki after her misfortune of nearly being killed by a stray Hollow."

Unohana looked worried as she turned to Yuuki. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Yuuki answered quietly.

"You go on first, Yuuki. Captain Hitsugaya and I have a matter to discuss."

Yuuki nodded, briefly glancing at Hitsugaya before departing, sorry that their time together had been cut short so abruptly.

---

"You say a stray _hollow_ attacked Yuuki?" Unohana questioned, worry visible in her eyes.

Hitsugaya glanced around the quaint office that resembled more of a check up room than a workspace. The cleanliness of the whole area with the papers neatly stacked to one side of the desk made him briefly wish he had Isane as his vice captain. "Yeah." He answered. "I don't know where it came from though. Its spirit power was relatively weak."

"It was most likely attracted to her great amount of reiatsu." Unohana inferred. "But it still worries me. I think we should discuss this with the other captains."

"Yes." He agreed. "But why was Yuuki outside at this time?"

"I'm not sure." She answered with a troubled sigh. "Did she mention anything about Ichigo?"

"Ichigo? No, she didn't… did he come here?"

"Yes." She continued. "He didn't do anything but I could tell she was a bit startled by him."

"He's not exactly graceful." Hitsugaya commented sarcastically. He knew that Ichigo probably gave some brainless excuse to see her.

"Hmm…" Unohana drew out the word. "I had a suspicion that she may have overheard our conversation and you can imagine when I saw you two together how alarmed I was. But since she didn't mention anything to you, I can put my mind at rest."

"Why would she mention anything to me?"

She smiled warmly at him before answering, "You might not know this Captain Hitsugaya, but you are one of the very few she trusts."

---

Yuuki paced in her room, sighing every now and then. After a few moments she jumped onto her cot, letting out a cry of fear. How would she be able to explain to Captain Unohana? She was certain that if she told her that the reason she ran away was because she overheard their private conversation would land her in heaps of trouble. Not only that, but she also had a feeling that whatever Ichigo was talking about was not something she was supposed to hear.

And how was she supposed to face Hitsugaya ever again after that embarrassing encounter? She'd done just about everything to give him the impression that she was some kind of needy nutcase who was practically in love with him with all that unnecessary contact. The fact that she had hugged a _Captain _was so blaringly apparent in her mind that she too began to wonder the stability of her sanity.

There was a swift knock on the door before it opened. Yuuki quickly stood up, her stomach in knots.

"Yuuki." Unohana greeted with a slight smile. She stayed at the door, her fingertips gracing the door frame. "Captain Hitsugaya explained the whole situation, and I am glad for your safety."

She could feel the relief settling in.

"However, this does not excuse you leaving the premises without permission this late of night."

The knots in her stomach returned at lightning speed. She stared at the floor in silence, hoping it would open and swallow her whole.

"Why did you leave, Yuuki?" Unohana pressed further, although her tone was soft.

"I just needed some fresh air." She lied. "I didn't want to interrupt your conversation with that shinigami so I figured I would just quickly sneak out and come back without you ever noticing…"

Unohana eyed her for a moment, as if considering the validity of the statement. She smiled warmly at Yuuki and nodded in understanding. She put a hand on her shoulder and added, "You should never do that again, Yuuki. Although Seireitei is a relatively safe place, in rare occurrences like this one, it can become dangerous. You would have died if not for Captain Hitsugaya."

"I know." Yuuki replied in a quiet voice. "I won't do that again."

"You must be tired. You should rest." Unohana advised before turning to leave.

Yuuki settled back into her bed as she heard the door close. The uneasy feeling was still present but she was glad that Unohana had believed her. The whole issue seemed troublesome but she knew that she had to get answers somehow. She turned to her side, staring blankly at the wall.

She would have to figure out some kind of excuse to go find Captain Hitsugaya again.

---

**A/N:** So sorry for the late update! I was so busy with school last week that I didn't really have a chance to finish. Thanks a lot for the reviews! I promise the next chapter will be a little humorous (although serious as well), so look forward to it! I've got a pretty good idea of what I'm going to do and I hope you guys will like it. No replies this time around, but I promise to reply for the next chapter. Thanks and **don't forget to review!** : )


	13. Chapter Twelve

"Try harder!"

Yuuki stumbled backward, narrowly avoiding Kai's attack. She had to admit that this time around she was better at dodging, but her offensive remained useless. Kai was clearly better than her and she didn't know why Ikkaku sensei kept pairing her up with him. Not only was he much taller than her, his merciless antics and the crazed look in his eyes whenever they were sparring was enough to make her want to forfeit immediately.

"Come on, Yuuki! Aren't you a prodigy?" Kai taunted, advancing forward with little concern.

She glared at him, gripping the practice sword tightly and leapt back to avoid yet another slash. She raised her sword, ready for whatever was to come.

"Stop!" Ikkaku yelled, circling the two. "Yuuki, what is that on the ground?!"

Yuuki lowered her sword, glancing around her periphery in confusion. It was then she spotted it, a faint glimmer of gold among the rust coloured dirt. She glanced back at Ikkaku with a blank look on her face.

"Well, it's yours isn't it? Pick it up." Ikkaku commanded, a serious look on his face.

"It's not mine…" She answered in a quiet voice, acutely aware that the whole class was silent and listening. "I don't even know what it is."

Ikkaku sighed, vaguely motioning with a hand for her to pick it up.

She took a few paces towards it, stopping and watching it glimmer for a moment. She pondered the idea of whether or not it was some kind of trap Ikkaku sensei had put up to demonstrate awareness, but casting those thoughts a side she quickly scooped it up and handed it to him.

"Yuuki, the battleground is no place for hairclips." He commented after pretending to examine it. He shook his head disapprovingly and pushed her outstretched arm back towards her.

"It's not mine…"

"Well do you think it's mine?" He questioned, purposely rubbing his hairless head. The class erupted in a chorus of giggles but quickly silenced with a raised hand from Ikkaku. "I assure you it is." Ikkaku continued, his tone steady as stone. "I saw it fall out from your pocket. This one looks quite expensive; you should keep it in a safer place or maybe secure it in your hair so it doesn't fall off."

"But it's not mine…" She reiterated, holding it out to him again.

He took it from her, holding it with two long fingers to show the class. "Does this belong to anyone?"

There was a watchful silence as each student observed the hairclip. It was certainly pretty, and was garnering the girls' interest.

"I think it's one of mine." A girl piped up, running a hand through her wavy hair.

Ikkaku sent her a glare, taking a few steps towards her. "Is it really one of yours, Ayame? Why don't you take a closer look…"

Yuuki noted that his voice sounded strained, like he was repressing unimaginable anger.

"O-on, second thought… it's not mine." The girl stated, shrinking back. And then as if to defend herself she added, "But it looks really similar."

Ikkaku moved away from her, holding it out to Yuuki once more. He gave her a cat-like grin and urged, "Go on, take it. It really is yours."

---

"That was lame." Hitsugaya commented, concealing a smirk.

"Hey, it worked didn't it?" Ikkaku shot back, stretching out his arms. "Took her so long to take it that my arms are sore."

"You just approached the situation in a totally incorrect manner."

"At least I'm not creeping in trees." Ikkaku scoffed. "Besides, my plan would've worked flawlessly if it weren't for Ayame trying to claim it as her own."

"I think you scared her for life." He replied, a hint of laughter in his sea-green eyes. "You should have seen your face. Or hers."

"Well, it's a lot better than Yumichika's." Ikkaku retorted. "He needs to lay off the make up and the eyelashes. No wonder Yuuki was so frightened on her first day. If I found out he was my teacher, I'd probably be scared too."

"I think you scare her enough with your relentless teaching." Hitsugaya replied dryly, stepping forward so he was no longer in line with Ikkaku.

"You're just jealous I get to teach her." Ikkaku's reply was smooth and even and Hitsugaya could almost _hear_ the smirk that graced his face.

"I'm going to leave now." He stated abruptly, only turning enough so he could see Ikkaku through the corner of his eye. "Arguing would be pointless."

---

Yuuki turned the hairclip in her hands; she had never owned something so pretty. She delicately traced the shape of it with a finger to distract herself. What was she supposed to say? She had thought of numerous excuses and none of them had sounded right. She'd considered just stating she was there to visit because she was his friend… but no, that sounded a little too awkward. Her shoulders slumped forward as she squatted by the entryway of the tenth division.

"Are you lost?"

Yuuki stood immediately, dusting herself off in embarrassment. She turned to face the busty woman whom she recognized as Vice Captain Matsumoto.

Matsumoto teetered forward as if to take a closer look. She looked her up and down with a confused expression.

Yuuki mirrored her expression. Something about her was a little… _off. _Her cheeks were flushed like she had been running for miles and she had a strange wobble to her step.

"Oh!" Matsumoto exclaimed in a sing-song voice. "I see. You're here to see the Captain, aren't you!"

Yuuki nodded in response, recognizing the stale smell of alcohol on her breath. She took a step back, perplexed with the situation.

"What do you need to see him for?"

Yuuki forced a smile, ignoring the slurring of her words. "Well," She began, unsure of how to respond. She watched as Matsumoto toyed with the hilt of her katana. Surely if Matsumoto was drunk, she wouldn't remember what her excuse was. She smiled a little wider and continued, "I came to ask for some training advice!"

"You did?" A deep voice from behind her asked.

She jumped forward, nearly crashing into the inebriated Vice Captain. She glanced behind her in half shock, almost terrified as she drank in the image of Captain Hitsugaya standing there with his usual cool demeanor. Matsumoto wrapped an arm around her shoulder, partially using her for balance. Yuuki nearly buckled underneath the added weight.

"Look. It's Yuuki!" Matsumoto stated with a grin on her face. "Aren't you happy?"

"Sure, whatever." He responded with clear annoyance. "Matsumoto, get off of her. You're crushing her."

Matsumoto obliged, removing herself from Yuuki and sauntering over to the Hitsugaya to lean on him instead.

He let out a deep sigh, his arm snaking around her waist to support her better.

"You look like a seasoned pro." Yuuki commented weakly.

"I guess you could say I am. She's about to pass out now, you see." He answered with a half shrug. As if to quell Yuuki's confusion, he added, "She does this often."

"Oh…" Yuuki trailed off awkwardly.

"Well, come on in then." He said evenly, walking in front of her with ease.

She nodded and followed behind, marveling at how _normal_ it all looked. For a moment she even forgot that Matsumoto was draped all over him. To break the silence she piped up, "I guess you help her out often, huh?"

"Yup." He replied nonchalantly.

"Doesn't it get annoying?" She questioned, trying to see if he was having any trouble at all.

"Sometimes."

"Why does she drink so much?" Yuuki ventured, genuinely curious.

"She has her troubles." He answered without even looking back. "Troubles that I can understand better now."

Yuuki nodded to herself, only slightly satisfied with the answer. She had been hoping for a little detail, but she was glad to have an answer so she didn't ask further. They reached the familiar wing and he opened the door and stepped aside.

"You can wait here. I'll go dispose of this." He joked.

Yuuki smiled and stepped into the office. She watched him leave and then sat down on the couch. Suddenly remembering that small tidbit of information she'd gained from Unohana, she quickly scanned the area for picture frames. She really wanted to know what his grandmother looked like. Disappointed to see nothing but papers and office-related items, she stared blankly at the wall. Then realizing she was still holding onto the hair clip, she began to fiddle with it, clasping and unclasping. After a moment, she raised her head from the shiny distraction and dropped it in surprise.

"H-how long have you been standing there?!" She spluttered, glancing up at Hitsugaya.

"Not long." He murmured, stepping forward to pick up the fallen hairclip. He unconsciously stroked it with his thumb before handing it back to her. "Nice hairclip."

"Yeah, thanks." She answered, quickly pocketing it. "Ikkaku sensei forced me to have it even though it's not mine. The real owner must feel sad that she lost such a pretty accessory."

"Speaking of which, you came to ask me for training advice? Is he _that_ hard on you?"

Yuuki could feel her face go red. She didn't want to admit it was a stupid excuse to see him so she just meekly nodded.

He turned and walked towards something that resembled a wardrobe. He opened it and took out two wooden swords.

She almost choked as she saw him come back to her, holding out one to her. She struggled to find the right words but managed to stutter, "Y-you… m-me?"

"Yup." He assured. "This is the best way I can know how to help you."

She took it wordlessly, standing up with a nervous wobble. She certainly hadn't planned on _this_ happening.

"Let's go outside." He gestured for her to follow.

"I-I don't think this is a good idea…" She started, the butterflies in her stomach multiplying. She didn't know what he thought she was capable of, but whatever it was, she certainly was _not._

"Have you ever used a flashstep before?" He cut in smoothly, breathing in the fresh air. It was dark already and he was glad that nobody was around to see them.

"No…?" She responded, drawing the word out so it was half a question. She vaguely remembered one of her teachers mentioning it but she had never learned it before.

"Great, this will be new then."

"I-I'm not good at learning new things…" Yuuki said quickly, uneasy with the idea.

"Oh, you aren't learning." He replied with a hint of a smile. "You'll be _experiencing."_

The way he enunciated the word frightened her and she whispered, "Do I have to…?"

"We don't have to, but I just thought it would be better to go somewhere else…unless you want to spar here in this open area where everybody can see us."

"Okay I guess going somewhere else is a better idea." She stated quickly, horrified at the idea that shinigami from the tenth division would be able to witness the suicide attempt masked as a friendly 'duel'.

"Alright, you're going to need to carry this and I'm going to need to carry you." He replied evenly, handing her his sword.

"Wait, what?" She exclaimed, taking the sword on reflex. "You're going to… _what?!"_

"Carry you." He repeated like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Don't they teach you comprehension in the academy?"

She gaped at him, at a loss for words.

"I mean, unless it's uncomfortable for you… I guess we could walk there." He suggested his face expressionless.

"Y-yes! How long will that take?!" She agreed, liking the suggestion immediately.

"Two hours."

She nearly fell over from the answer, and then stated, "That makes no sense! Where could we possibly be going for it to take two hours?! The academy is fifteen minutes away!"

"The grounds are being used by the fifth division after hours." He explained. "This place is the only place that will be isolated without other people interfering."

She weighted the options in her head. She was so tired, she wasn't even up for sparring with a genius Captain who could kill her in a second if he wanted to… how could she survive a two hour walk to top it all off? With a defeated sigh she answered, "I guess the flash step will work…"

He stepped behind her so fast that she had trouble catching up and suddenly found herself being carried bridal-style with the two wooden swords clutched tightly in her hands.

"Actually, you better give me those too."

She handed them to him and he secured them in his left hand.

"Right so, this is going to sound really strange but I'm going to need you to hold onto me." He explained, his tone serious.

"Um, where?" She questioned, completely embarrassed by their strange arrangement.

"I don't know. My neck?" He answered calmly, shifting her weight.

"You're joking, right?" She examined his face that was a little too close for comfort, and she nearly wanted to cry when she realized he was being serious.

"This is for your own good. You might die if you don't."

She nodded and silently wrapped her arms loosely around his neck. His expression remained impassive, he didn't even flinch.

"Closer." He commanded. "I swear, if you don't hold on for dear life you seriously might die."

"Maybe I should just die…?" She commented weakly. The butterflies she was feeling in her stomach had transformed into a full fledged battle zone.

"Look, I know it's awkward but the faster you do this, the faster it'll be over. You're pretty heavy, too." He stated dryly.

"I am not!" She retorted. "You carried Matsumoto like she was a piece of paper, compared to her I'm like… a paper clip."

"Just hurry up. I swear, if one of my shinigami see me like this, I'm going to drop you right away and claim _you _came onto _me._"

"This was your idea!" Yuuki stated in distress, but wrapped her arms tighter around his neck for fear that somebody really would come by and see them.

"Okay, now this is going to feel really strange." He warned, and then took a step forward.

Yuuki bit back a scream at the sudden burst of speed. They were going so fast she couldn't even see anything. The stars passed by her in a twinkling blur that disappeared as quickly as she saw them. The feeling of moving so fast was so sickening that she had to close her eyes.

And then it was over.

"Yuuki, let – go."

She let go immediately after realizing that she had been nearly choking Hitsugaya with her death grip. She slid out of his arms, her face red from the embarrassment or what she'd just experienced, she wasn't quite sure.

Hitsugaya cleared his throat for a moment and then let out a deep breath as if to check his windpipe was still functioning properly. Afterwards, he handed her one of the swords.

"I-I don't think I can do this…" She admitted, her voice shaky but she still took it anyway.

"We didn't come here for nothing." He replied.

"Can I at least have a few seconds to recover from that…?"

He looked at her as if he was considering the idea and then nodded in agreement. He began stretching his arms and that prospect seriously scared Yuuki. She had seen what he was capable of before and she was _nothing_ compared to him.

"How about we make this interesting?" He suggested with a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Er… how?" She questioned, not quite sure if she wanted to hear the answer.

"Winner gets to make the loser do something."

"That's not fair!" She piped up. "There's no way I will win!"

"Alright fine, if you can land one hit on me, you win. If I can land five on you, I win." He compromised.

She thought about it carefully, surely one hit wasn't too hard. She glanced at him suspiciously, "So… If I win, I can make you do _anything_?"

"Anything." He agreed.

"Alright." She agreed.

"Alright, get ready." Hitsugaya commanded, stepping away from her and raising his sword.

She mimicked his actions clumsily, holding the sword out in front of her like it was toxic. She was really regretting that bet now. She glanced at his form and then noticed something a little strange. She was certain that when he had been fighting that hollow he had been right-handed, but now, it was clearly in his left. She stared at him for a moment and then commented, "I didn't know you were left handed."

He forced an almost pained-looking smile and replied, "I'm not."

---

**A/N:** Alright, longer chapter for you guys because I felt you guys deserved it! I love reading everyone's' reviews and thanks to everybody who continues to faithfully review my story! I really like how this chapter turned out and if anyone can guess the reason why he's using his left hand… props to you! Feel free to take a guess at it, I'll give you the correct answer in the note for the next chapter. As implied, the next chapter will be a continuation of this one. **erina destiny, **I made sure to include a little (lot?) more HitsuxYuuki for my lovely readers like you out there, hehe. **littleva**, unfortunately this chapter didn't deal with that but I'm fairly certain the next chapter will deal with the whole Ichigo situation. Thanks for the review! **Naishou**, thanks for the comment, it is greatly appreciated! **FireWingedWolf, **I'm sure my stories do not put yours to shame! Good luck with yours and thank you for reading mine! **Hikari6007**, I know it's like a breath of fresh air isn't it to finally see them getting along… even I was a little frustrated with the situation! **TheKingJingles**, welcome back to my story! Glad to see some of my old readers back. **SilentSS**, hope you don't forget this time, haha. Thanks for the reviews everybody and **don't forget to review for this one!**


	14. Chapter Thirteen

Yuuki stared at him curiously, wondering what he was talking about. She shifted her weight slightly and tilted her head to one side and quietly asked, "You're not?"

"Nope." He reassured with a half smile.

"Oh, I get it. You're just doing this to go easy on me." Yuuki commented in reply.

"I assure you this won't be easy for you." Hitsugaya answered evenly. "I've been practicing with my left hand for quite some time. This is only more practice."

Yuuki let out a disappointed sigh, still not fully grasping the concept but she nodded anyways.

"We should begin now." He stated, suddenly leaping forward towards her. Yuuki stepped back in surprise, raising the wooden sword to block his attack from above.

"That—wasn't—fair!" Yuuki cried, narrowly side stepping away from him.

"Are you going to talk your enemies to death?" He answered dryly. "Time is everything."

Yuuki could feel a shiver go down her spine as she realized he was now behind her. How had he done that so fast? On an impulse, she quickly swung to the right in a wide arc, in hopes that she would be able to hit his unprotected side. She swung her body likewise, and was surprised to see that he had disappeared as fast as he had appeared.

"Where do you think I am, Yuuki?"

She could hear his voice clearly, and she hastily turned around, looking all over. There was nobody in sight. She desperately tried to trace his reiatsu to no avail. He had masked that too. There was a slight ripple of reiatsu she could sense that was coming straight towards her. She quickly raised her sword.

Hitsugaya appeared in front of her, as he swiftly began slashing. Yuuki just barely blocked each one, her arms nearly buckling at each time. She studied his face and his expression remained impassive, his actions nearly robotic. At this rate she wouldn't be able to block them all… if she could just find one opening it would all be over with. With a change of thought, she deflected one of his hits and leapt back. She glanced at him, desperately thinking of what to do.

Then suddenly, she felt four quick jabs on her back, and then a fifth sharp pain across her stomach. She doubled over, dropping her sword in both surprise and pain. She grabbed clumps of grass in her fists, realizing she'd lost in a blink of an eye.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to hit that hard." Hitsugaya mumbled from beside her, as he helped her up into a standing position. "It's hard to adjust power still."

She shook him away, turning to face him with a sour expression and said, "That was unfair! I didn't even have a chance of winning in the first place… you didn't even go easy on me!"

"Enemies won't go easy on you, Yuuki." He replied. "Besides, I _was_ going easy on you. The moment you hesitate, is the moment you lose."

She blew out a puff of warm air in annoyance. "Well, I'm not exactly as quick-thinking as you are."

"You should learn to be. If you're one step ahead of the opponent at all times, it will guarantee your win. Plus, you need more confidence. It looked like you were going to break down. You're still not used to a sword."

"You're right. I'm not." She agreed.

"Well, since I won…" Hitsugaya began with a grin.

"I was hoping you forgot." Yuuki grumbled in a small voice.

"About what?"

"The deal." She answered.

"Oh that. Thanks for reminding me." He teased, his grin growing wider. "I was just going to say we should go home now."

Yuuki deadpanned, almost wanting to punch herself in the gut for such a grave error.

"Right, so anyway. We said anything, right?" He questioned innocently.

"Right." Yuuki agreed. "Except no inappropriate things."

"Do I look like a pervert to you?" He replied with distaste.

"Your hair is pretty long…" Yuuki started with a small smile. "You definitely could be."

He grunted in reply, suddenly casting the wooden sword he was holding aside. He walked to a clear patch of grass and sat down.

"What are you doing?" She asked, perturbed by his sudden reaction.

"I'm thinking." He answered simply. He patted the spot next to him without looking at her. "You should sit too. I think we're going to be here for a while."

Yuuki stared at him in confusion. Maybe he really was a mental patient with multiple personalities…? She watched as he glanced at her as he once again motioned vaguely with a hand for her to come to him. With slight hesitation, she made her way over to him and sat down a little ways away.

"You don't have to sit so far." He commented.

"I'm taking precautions, in case…" She drew the sentence out, stopping midway and then looking at him as if urging him to ask.

"In case of what?" He questioned, biting the bait. "Oh, that I'm a pervert?"

"Ah ha!" Yuuki nearly shouted, pointing an accusing finger at him. "So you do admit to it!"

Hitsugaya sighed sullenly, realizing he had walked right into that set up. He glanced at her and replied, "Speaking of long hair. Isn't yours longer than mine?"

She stopped everything for a moment, thinking about the statement which was indeed true.

"So I guess that means you're…"

"No!" Yuuki shouted, realizing where he was going with this. "Girls are naturally born with… um, longer.. hair."

He smiled in response, turning away from her to stare at the sky.

Yuuki looked away, it was the first time she had actually taken in the surroundings. They were in some sort of clearing with only a couple of trees around the area. There was a small river that flowed to the unknown, sparkling in the moonlight. Finally, she turned her gaze to the sky, where she could see a slice of moon and stars scattered across. She breathed, "It's beautiful."

He chuckled openly, shaking his head at her slow reaction. "You know, most girls notice the setting first."

She turned to look at him and retorted, "Well. I was looking out for the safety of my life first. I don't think you bring most girls here to you know, half kill them." She paused for a moment, the word 'girls' processing through her brain. She could feel a tinge of what she hoped was _not_ jealousy as she continued, "Wait, what? You have a girlfriend?!"

"No." He replied calmly.

She gaped at him, putting it all together. Captain Hitsugaya was a player! No wonder he was always calm and collected, with all the girls in her class gushing over him. He was…. a player! She thought about the countless girls he'd probably brought here… he probably was a pervert too! And he also had that strange compelling and attracting aura that was perfect for his type of 'interests'…

He studied her expression passively, wondering what was going on in that brain of hers.

"You're a player, aren't you?" Yuuki questioned, jabbing an accusing finger into his chest. "I bet you dye your hair white to catch people's interest… right?"

It was his turn to gape at her, he surely wasn't expecting _that._ He cleared his throat, composing himself and replied, "I am not a player. My hair is natural."

"I know, that's what Captain Unohana said too… but if you bring girls here and you don't have a girlfriend… that means you played them!" She shouted triumphantly.

"So, by your logic, you're saying I played you too?" He questioned, humoring her.

"What? No!" She disagreed. "You and I are friends. We came here to improve my uh… swordsmanship."

"Sorry Yuuki, I'm playing with you too."

She flinched for a half second, which Hitsugaya caught in amusement.

"Don't worry." He assured her. "I'm not a player. I don't bring girls here. I was speaking in a general sense."

"Right." She agreed sheepishly, her face turning red. She had this strange tendency to jump to conclusions when she was with him. "I guess I went too far with that one."

There was a dull silence between them and Hitsugaya was the first to speak. "You asked Captain Unohana about my hair?"

She froze, realizing she'd been caught. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye and realized he was staring at her. She forced herself to laugh, hoping it didn't sound too fake and stated, "No! Why would I do that?!"

"It caught your interest, huh…" He replied, seeing right through her.

She lied down on her back abruptly, hoping to stray away from his gaze. He took off his Captain's robe and folded it, setting it neatly to the side before lying down too.

"Why did you take that off?" She questioned, her suspicions creeping back to her.

"It's hard to get grass stains out of it." He answered.

"Oh."

"Alright, I thought of what I want from you." He stated.

"What is it?" Yuuki asked, curiously glancing at him.

"I want you to quit the academy."

Yuuki jolted upright into a sitting position, shocked by his request. She continued to stare at him, his expression remained impassive. She stuttered, "Y-you're not a pervert… y-you're a psycho!"

"I was just kidding." He replied with a grin. "How can you take that seriously?"

"Well you did say _anything_." She countered, relieved that he wasn't being serious.

"Do you still have that hairclip with you?"

Yuuki nodded silently, taking it out of her pocket and joked, "Don't tell me you want it."

"No." He shook his head. "I want you to wear it."

"I'm not falling for that one." She grinned, pleased with herself that she'd finally saw through at least one of his tricks.

"I'm not joking." He said seriously, getting up into a sitting position.

"But it's not even mine…" She said quietly, perplexed by his request. She was thinking he would ask for something embarrassing or funny… she certainly hadn't seen this coming.

"It is yours." He tried to assure her with a nod. When she didn't buy it he added, "You're right, it's not. It's mine. I gave it to you."

"What?" She drew out the word, even more confused.

"It was my grandmothers." He lied. "I didn't have the courage to give it to you, so I made Ikkaku do it."

"Why would you give this to me…?"

"You looked kind of down these days." He answered simply.

She smiled slightly, flattered by his actions. She looked at him with a nearly scrutinizing glance and joked. "Are you sure you're not a player?"

"I'm certain." He answered.

"Well, in that case…" She began, and hastily clipped it in her hair. "I hope this doesn't look weird."

"It looks great." Hitsugaya replied, relieved that she'd fell for it. "Since I'm so nice I'll let you ask for something too."

"Really?" She questioned, her face lighting up.

He could almost hear her brain working away and he nearly regretted offering.

"Can you teach me how to flashstep?"

He considered it carefully, and nodded in agreement. He remembered the night of her death so vividly, and if he was right, flashstep should come easily to her because she had done it then too.

"Can I ask just one more question?" Yuuki continued.

"You already did." He answered with a faint smile. "Go for it."

"Why did you use your left hand?" She asked, staring at his hand for a moment and then back at him.

He thought about it for a moment before carefully answering, "I failed to protect someone I really cared about… so I guess I'm trying to make up for it so it never happens again."

"What happened?" She continued, genuinely interested.

"She died."

Yuuki could feel a pang of sympathy and regretted asking. She could see the sorrow in his eyes which were a brilliant cerulean green in the moonlight. It was like the first time she had seen any sadness from him. She looked away from his intense gaze and mumbled an apology.

"It's okay." He answered. "We should get going now."

Yuuki nodded in agreement, scrambling up to pick up the fallen wooden swords. She carried them back to him wordlessly. The atmosphere had stilled, and they continued about their arrangement which was strangely not so embarrassing anymore.

Besides their breathing and the sounds of the environment, neither of them broke the silence.

---

**A/N: **Wow thanks so much for the reviews guys! This chapter was kind of sad but oh well, it had to happen sometime. A lot of people guessed that he was using his left hand to go easy on her, which unfortunately, was not the case. Few people suggested it related to Promise (which is correct) and **Sivynia** guessed the actual reason correctly so congratulations! **littleva**'s suggestion that his hand was injured was a plausible explanation also, so great guess there. And Kai isn't really a significant part of the story but I tried to make him as one of those bully type characters, so I suppose it's a good thing that you don't like him. I'm glad that **Mina Luriya** and **Naishou** enjoyed the 'maybe I should die' part, haha. **13Lulu**, I must say that he does seem a bit stalkerish… I think I should tone down on that. Alright, thanks so much for the reviews everybody, again, don't feel bad if I didn't reply to you… I promise to reply to everybody in the next chapter! **Don't forget to review**!


	15. Chapter Fourteen

A/N: It's been well over a year since I've updated this. College is seriously taking up all my time but now that I'm on winter break I'll be able to add a few chapters to this... I still remember where I was going with this so no worries. Hope to see some of my old readers able to review again. :) Also another note, I haven't kept up with Bleach episodes (sort of stopped watching) so there may be some inaccuracies that I'm not aware of.

_Flashstep._

Yuuki whispered the word over and over again. She was excited to be able to learn something that could actually prove useful. Her fighting capabilities were pretty much next to zero and would be useless in an actual, legitimate fight. Her training was also so routine that it had nearly become perfunctory in her life. Flashstep on the other hand was something of potential and interest, something she might actually be _good_ at. Countless thoughts buzzed around her mind, and a strange but pleasant nervousness settled within her. It would be a lie to say that she wasn't excited at the prospect of seeing the white-haired Captain on a somewhat regular basis.

Admittedly, once they had reached the confines of Seireitei, she had felt a sudden awkwardness come over her. Not that it wasn't awkward before, but moreso in relation. The hair clip story seemed fishy, but a small part of her chose to believe it. She knew that deep inside it probably wasn't true, and the fact that he would lie about something like that intrigued her but at the same time frightened her. Without a second thought, she unclipped it from her hair and carefully ran a finger over it.

What was the story behind this, anyway?

---

Hitsugaya glanced over at Matsumoto who was predictably strung over the couch, loosely clutching an empty sake bottle. He noticed she was drinking more than average these days, but to be completely honest he had too much on his mind to worry about her. He felt selfish for it, but with running between a recovering Hinamori, paper work, captain duties and constant distractions of Yuuki and hunting down those men who hurt her, he had more than enough to deal with.

Besides, the quiet passed-out Mastumoto was sometimes a gift considering her loud and sometimes obnoxious abstractions wouldn't distract him further. But at other times he wished Matsumoto would yammer away, talking about whatever nonsense was on her mind. Sometimes he wanted to be distracted and maybe forget about all the work he had to do, even if it were for a little while.

It was at this time, Hitsugaya felt uneasy. Normally he was sure of where he was going, almost proud of it. Even after Yuuki's death he had quickly determined his next move, forced himself to recover physically if not emotionally and was ready to initiate his search for her. When the Commander-General had prohibited him to be around Yuuki; a cruel play of fate, he had decided to take it into his own hands. It was at these times where he questioned his own judgment he felt the most vulnerable. The issues were complicated and mingling together, a growing puzzle that he was struggling to solve.

Had it been the right decision to tamper with fate?

---

There was a sharp knock on her door, and Yuuki bolted upright from her half dozing state. She clumsily ran to the door, nearly knocking over an empty vase in the process. She slid towards the door, hand outstretched in preparation to slide it open in one fluid movement. The door slid open before she could reach it and she nearly collided with the incoming guest.

"S-sorry!" Yuuki yelped, immediately looking down at the floor in apology and expecting to hear Unohana's scolding tone in reply.

"Ouch."

That was definitely _not_ Unohana. The evident sarcasm made it so obvious that it was shocking. What was _he_ doing here?

Hitsugaya looked down at Yuuki who still hadn't raised her head. The uneasy feeling he had had earlier still remained, but he'd decided since he'd already started, he may as well run with it. He wasn't sure where Unohana was, it was even stranger that Isane wasn't around. He supposed he'd lucked out when he'd entered the premises with a few low ranking fourth division shinigami who paid no attention to him, or at least pretended not to.

"What are you doing here...?" Yuuki piped up, suddenly finding her voice and returning the eye contact.

He was almost startled by her quizzical expression. Maybe running with it wasn't such a good idea. His normally meticulous plans worked well for a reason, because everything was _planned_. He wasn't used to this au naturel way of working. Why had he come here, anyway?

"Cap--" Yuuki began.

"--Toushirou." Hitsugaya interjected on an impulse to correct her. He gave her a steely look to make sure she knew he was being serious about the whole name calling thing.

"No, what I meant to say was, _Captain Unohana_ isn't here right now. She went to train some shinigami with Vice Captain Kotetsu." Yuuki finished, enunciating the words 'Captain' and 'Unohana'.

"Oh." He replied. This wasn't going as well as he thought it would. He suddenly regretted coming and he hated to admit it but he actually felt socially incapable or even stupid.

"Are you okay?" Yuuki questioned with a genuine curiosity. What was up with Captain Hitsugaya? His usual cool demeanor had seemed to have taken a trip somewhere and possibly gotten lost. Was that sweat forming on his forehead? Was he nervous? His change in behavior was really starting to freak her out and make her nervous too.

If Hitsugaya wasn't good at conducting conversations merely for social reasons, he was good at observing and reading people. Right now he could tell that Yuuki was confused and possibly turned off by his awkward behavior. He decided he needed to redeem himself, and redeem himself he would. He coughed as if to signal his pride to come back and confidently stepped forward and into the room. He took a few more strides as if to establish his position and glanced at Yuuki and then around the room. With a slight frown he shot a rhetorical question back. "This is your room, huh?"

Yuuki nodded in response, unsure of what else to say. He was acting really weird, even for a Captain.

"So, when is Captain Unohana coming back?" He cocked his head to one side, his chin jutting out towards her as if telling her to respond quickly.

"U-uh... I don't know." Yuuki whispered, suddenly afraid of his overly manly behavior. She watched as Hitsugaya's expression changed from neutral to slightly angry looking. As an afterthought she quickly added, "Maybe a few hours? She just left so..."

"Great!" Hitsugaya responded with so much enthusiasm that he felt like punching himself after hearing his own words. He coughed again and as if to correct himself he added, "I guess that leaves me with a few hours to kill which is perfect for--" He racked his brain for some plausible situation and continued, "-- your flashstep training!"

Yuuki's eyes lit up at the words. "Really?" She asked in incredulously. "You mean you came all the way here just so you could teach me how to flashstep?"

"No." Hitsugaya stated before thinking. It wasn't a lie, really. He really hadn't come to teach her how to flashstep. He'd came just to see her. But he would never admit that. At least, not yet. "I came to see Captain Unohana but since she's not here, you're going to have to distract me for however long it takes for her to come back because I made the trek all the way here and I hate wasting time."

"Yeah, me too. I hate wasting time." Yuuki agreed, masking her disappointment. "How do we start?"

"Well, we should probably go to an open area. I mean, I don't want you to flashstep into your desk by mistake."

"Oh, right." Yuuki nodded. "Where should we go then?"

Hitsugaya looked at her carefully as if to gauge her reaction. He gave her a half smirk and replied, "I have a place in mind."

---  
A/N (again): Pretty short chapter but I decided to cut it into two parts because it's kind of too long together and partly unfinished. Next chapter will be out sometime soon, let me know what you guys think with a review!


	16. Chapter Fifteen

Yuuki took a cautious step away from Hitsugaya, drinking in the barren wasteland. She wasn't expecting him to bring her here. The cliffs were as tall as skyscrapers, uneven and jagged. There were no trees in sight, just a great expanse of dry land.

As if on cue, Hitsugaya explained, "It's easier to see each other here without the distraction of the environment."

Yuuki nodded in agreement. She was slightly disappointed, his sly tone of voice had almost fooled her into thinking he'd take her to somewhere, dare she think it, a bit more… romantic? As if shocked by her thoughts, she shook her head trying to shake them away.

"Uh, are you okay?" Hitsugaya questioned, giving her a strange look.

"Yeah! This is great, actually… just never been some place like this before…" Yuuki answered with fake enthusiasm. "How do we get started?"

"How good are you with manipulating reishi?"

"Not very." Yuuki admitted. "I'm not really good at anything, actually…"

"Well, we all have to start somewhere." Hitsugaya answered with a slight shrug. "The basic process of this is to concentrate reishi below your feet so you're like walking in air."

"Okay…"

Hitsugaya took a few large strides away from her. "You need to be fast, flashstepping isn't only about technique but also agility. We'll start with this distance. Try it."

Yuuki stared back at him, baffled. She was expecting a little more instruction, a few tips and tricks rather than a basic explanation. "Uh… I don't know how to begin…"

"Concentrate."

_Okay… concentrate._ Yuuki mentally told herself. She wasn't really sure what to concentrate on, but she figured if it was a matter of going from point A to point B, she should probably be focusing on point B. She stared profusely at the spot beside Hitsugaya. Who knows, maybe she'd magically end up where she wanted to be without even realizing it.

Hitsugaya observed her closely. He didn't give her much instruction for a reason. Not only was learning flashstep an individual prospect, he also wanted to see how Yuuki would fare on her own. The video playback of her chilling last scene seemed to continuously rewind and play again in his mind. He couldn't get over it, how had she done it?

Yuuki took a deep breath, urging whatever reishi she had to accumulate beneath her feet. She wasn't really sure if she was doing anything, but she could feel a slight tingle as something was happening. She took a small step forward and felt a sudden sucking sensation, as if she was being ripped from where she was standing and being pulled to another. She closed her eyes in fright; the sensation was brief and unnatural. Once the feeling subsided, she opened her eyes. She felt exhausted.

Hitsugaya wasn't particularly impressed. She had flashstepped alright, so he supposed that bit was better than the average. However, the execution had been sloppy and slow; there was no precision exerted like before, her movement would easily be tracked. The worst part of it was that she hadn't even reached him, she was perhaps a stride or so away.

Yuuki could see Hitsugaya in front of her. He was noticeably closer, but she knew whatever she had done wasn't quite right. Hadn't she been concentrating on the spot beside him? Why was she over here? Why did she feel so exhausted?

He watched her teeter to the side, apparently tired out from that single small flashstep. He rushed forward on an impulse, grabbing her arm to steady her.

"How did I do?" Yuuki gasped, grabbing at her rib cage. She felt like she had run a marathon.

"Satisfactory for a beginner, I suppose." He answered. "I think you should rest."

Yuuki nodded, immediately clunking down to the floor. Hitsugaya loosened the grip on her arm, lingering for a moment before letting her go completely. He took a seat beside her in silence.

"I don't understand, why am I so tired…? You did it like it was nothing."

"It takes a lot of practice." He replied. "But since you have the basics down, if you keep practicing you should be able to become better at it. The feeling at first is weird, but you'll get used to it eventually."

"Can I ask you a question?" Yuuki interjected without thinking.

Hitsugaya turned towards her, giving her a 'go ahead' look.

"So you know how before here we were once human or something…"

He could feel his breath hitch in his throat, his heart nearly stopping for a moment. This was unexpected and he wasn't sure if he was ready for wanted to blurt out every possible think he knew, but he swallowed his words, urging her to continue with his eyes.

"Do you think it's normal to remember?" She continued, not looking at him.

He could feel his muscles tense while his jaw muscles slackened. Did she remember anything? Why was she bringing this up to him?

She turned to him finally, gauging his expression as either shocked, confused or a combination of both. Maybe asking him wasn't such a good idea. "Well I mean, it's just that I tried to bring up this topic to Unohana but she didn't really say anything…" She trailed off, wondering why his gaze was so intense. Was this type of thing forbidden to talk about?

"It's rare…" He began, his voice a little shaky. He wasn't sure if he wanted to continue, but he did anyways. "Do you…?"

"No." She responded bluntly. "I wish I did though."

He felt the crushing weight of disappointment. Of course she didn't. He looked away, hoping it wouldn't be evident on his face.

"I just get this feeling that people knew me before I came here. Isn't that weird?"

Hitsugaya remained silent, unsure of how to answer that. His logical side told him that for her health and well being, he should probably be making something up about how she was imagining things but another part of him wished she would keep going.

"I saw this Shinigami, he had weird orange hair, kind of reminded me of you." She joked, trying to lighten up the mood. However, she returned to the serious discussion. "I think he called me his sister. Well, I'm not sure but it really did seem that way."

Hitsugaya swore under his breath. _Ichigo, that idiot._

"He knew my name too. It seems like a lot of people here know my name already."

"Well, you were a random little girl who came from District 80 to become a Shinigami. Believe it or not, word travels fast around here." He answered, and as an afterthought added in a disdainful tone. "Vice captains gossip like no tomorrow."

"I guess…" Yuuki replied with a slight shrug. "Now that I think about it… when I first met you, you knew my name too. Did your Vice Captain tell you?"

He recalled the hospital scene, mulling over possible answers to her question. He knew she would have asked this eventually, but he didn't think it would be so soon.

Yuuki continued, her stream of consciousness was overflowing. "I just think it's pretty strange. When I first met you… I mean, not you, as an individual, just how I feel around you. When we first met I really thought you were crazy, and then scary, but now I'm completely comfortable around you. I just think we – or I – progressed to this pretty randomly. Sometimes if I forget our first couple meetings, I get this feeling like we've been friends for a long time or something." She laughed at her own foolishness. "You and I look like the same age. Okay, maybe you look a bit older with your white hair… but maybe we were friends when we were humans. Maybe we knew each other before. Wouldn't that be cool?"

"I did know you before." Hitsugaya cut in smoothly, an expressionless mask on his face.

Yuuki shut her mouth, as if his single statement had the power to turn off her rambling mind and thrust her back into reality. She stared at him with no words to say.

Hitsugaya stood up wordlessly, brushing off the sand and dirt from his robes. He outstretched a hand towards her, urging her to take it and stand up. Yuuki did so, still staring. She was unsure if he was playing a joke on her or not, but the seriousness of his tone was so real it was unsettling.

"I'm just kidding Yuuki, no need to look like you've seen a ghost." He stated with a forced smile. "Ready for round two?"

No, she wasn't ready but she nodded yes anyways. Even if what he had said had been a joke, she was still feeling weird about it. She was suddenly acutely aware of everything he was doing, the way his hand gripped hers in a strong, confident and masculine manner that made her feel almost safe and secure and when his grip loosened; the tips of his fingers hovered delicately just a hairline's width above the back of her hand for a moment before completely letting go and turning away from her. The harrowing empty and vulnerable feeling she suddenly felt afterward, frightened her.

Impulsively, she grabbed onto his hand again. She watched as he turned back towards her, giving her a look she assumed to be confused and a hint of worry. It was like she was having an out of body experience, watching herself, watching him, watching the entire situation without really being in control. She stared blankly back at him, her mind in shambles. She wasn't sure if he sensed her sudden fear or whatever it was, but she felt his grip tightening, establishing his hold once more.

For some reason, the single gesture made her feel better. Safe and secure, like she actually belonged somewhere.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter guys, great to see my old readers and some new. I'm updating this pretty sporadically as you can tell but nonetheless it's being done. Hope to hear your guys' feedback on this little chapter, I'm pretty satisfied with the outcome. Expect some big things soon. : )


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